


Missing More than a Thousand Mornings

by neyllah



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Akakuro - Freeform, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Verse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-02
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-04 13:10:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 85,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5335313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neyllah/pseuds/neyllah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seijuro never thought he would be leaving Tetsuya with more than just a memory of heated pleasure, but he would only learn of this six years later in a form of a child with red hair and blue eyes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [yuruumantic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuruumantic/gifts).



_“Shintaro, it’s me.”_

Midorima momentarily paused from scribbling notes before a sigh escaped his lips, his eyelids fluttering and bringing him back to focus.

“Akashi.” He answered. “It’s been a while.”

_“Indeed. How’ve you been?”_

“Fine. Busy. You?”

_“Same.”_

 “I see.” Reaching the end of his paper, Midorima set it aside along with a pile with similar contents before reaching for a folder from his drawer. His phone was squeezed in between his shoulder and cheek, giving his hands the freedom to multitask.

 _“How is everyone?”_ Akashi asked from the other end, and Midorima was quick to reply.

 “They’re fine, a bunch of idiots as always.” He heard Akashi chuckle, making him almost smile, but the pieces of paper before him half-captured his thoughts. There was a long pause that followed, only both of their calm breathing getting through the line. But soon enough he heard Akashi sigh.

  _“…and Tetsuya?”_ Midorima seemed to freeze, fingers slightly crumpling the edge of a sheet he was holding. Akashi sounded tired but Midorima understood well enough where Akashi’s weariness came from. Deciding to drop everything he currently was doing and postpone them for later, he sat back and reclined on his chair, legs crossed and phone now delicately held by bandaged fingers.

 “He’s fine.” He answered, but Akashi did not say anything and so Midorima took it as a sign that his response was not satisfactory. His glasses fell down the bridge of his nose. “Kuroko’s the same as always. Nothing much has changed— he’s blunt, he’s easily bypassed, he looks the same as six years ago as if he never aged. Kise’s been bugging Kuroko about his personal fountain of youth as if such a thing really exists.”

Despite saying a bit much than usual, knowing that Midorima was not the talkative type, Akashi was not satisfied.

 _“And?”_ There was a hint of anticipation in Akashi’s voice, a sound that Midorima knew too well from the many times they had been conversing. He knew what exactly Akashi wished to know and it made him pull away his glasses so he could rub the bridge of his nose. Somehow, it seemed that he would be having a long night.

“He’s unmated, still.” There was a few seconds of silence before Akashi broke it with a sigh of what Midorima could pinpoint as relief.

_“Still, huh?”_

“Yes.”

“ _Any suitors?”_

“My answer is still the same as the last time.” Midorima drummed his fingers on the armrest while his feet maneuvered his swiveling chair’s movements. He spun to the left, changing his view from his desk to the empty wall. Again, he heard Akashi chuckle as if he already knew the answer but decided to ask anyway.

 _“As expected of Tetsuya_.” Akashi said with fondness that almost crushed Midorima’s heart. _“How about that Beta from his highschool_?”

Midorima rolled his eyes and turned his chair at another angle. This time he was facing the window, the moonless night reminding him of the hopeless situation Akashi believed he was in.

“Kagami? Please.” Midorima scoffed, knowing just as much as Akashi that the possibility of Kuroko ending up in Kagami’s arms was nonexistent. He did not know why Akashi even bothered to bring that up, aside from the not so popular fact that Akashi was wary of Kagami for reasons that only Midorima and Akashi himself knew.

_“I honestly do wonder why he hasn’t chosen anyone yet when dozens are already on their feet.”_

“How about you?” He asked with a bit of expectation that his question would catch Akashi off his guard, which would hopefully result to abrupt honest answers. But he knew better. Akashi responded with an answer that he seemed to have memorized from a book. 

_“I prioritize my career, Shintaro. Such matters are of no importance to me as of the moment._

Feeling a bit on edge, words flew off Midorima’s mouth before he could even catch them.

“It’s funny because Kuroko said the exact same thing.” _Although Kuroko’s priorities stretched on a mile longer than Akashi’s._

He could only imagine what Akashi was like as time stretched. If Midorima was not able to, at least a bit, take Akashi by surprise with his previous question, he could only assume that this time, with his unexpected remark, he was able to rattle the man on the other end.

 _“Did he, now?”_ If Midorima did not know Akashi well, he would not have taken the question seriously and brushed it off as sarcasm.

“Yes.”

“ _Well it’s nice to know that he’s goal oriented.”_

It was an uncharacteristic response coming from Akashi, and Midorima would have managed to pull the corners of his lips to a smile if it were another occasion. What he felt after hearing the answer through the phone was disappointment; disappointed that Akashi pretended he was unaffected despite the tension that Midorima could feel all the way from London.

“Nice to know?” He repeated with disbelief, which he made sure was obvious for Akashi to sense. He shook his head and calmed himself down. “Did it ever occur to you that Kuroko could be waiting?”

_“Waiting for what?”_

Midorima rubbed his temples. He could feel a headache coming. Why was Akashi making things so complicated? Why ask him a question that he already knew that answer to?

“For you.” He answered, and when he heard Akashi’s forced laughter, he shook his head. The only reason why the situation seemed hopeless was because Akashi believed it to be.

_“Don’t be absurd. It’s been a long time.”_

“I’m not being absurd.” Midorima was now clutching his phone tightly as he bit back the urge to raise his voice. The laughter died down and Akashi’s heavy breathing took over.

 _“Maybe you’re right.” Akashi said, voice low. “Then_ _again, maybe you’re not.”_

“Akashi—”

_“Tell me, Shintaro, do I have a reason to go back?”_

“ _Someone’s_ waiting for you.” Midorima was quick to give an answer, an image of two people flashing quickly in his mind. “That's more than enough reason for you to—”

 _“Seven days.”_ Midorima stopped, heart now beating fast as he waited for Akashi to continue. “ _Seven days, Shintaro, and I’ll be back.”_

It took a while for him to respond. He straightened his back, his eyes slightly widened. He spun himself facing his desk to look at the small flipping calendar on his table.

“For real?” He asked, and he could picture Akashi’s face painted with amusement as he nodded his head.

_“For real.”_

“Why all of a sudden?”

There was a pause and a bit of shuffling on the other end of the call.

 _“If what you’re saying is true, then I think it’s time to go home.”_ Midorima, if it were not for his pride, would have spilled tears then and there. Even without saying anything more, he understood completely what Akashi meant to say. “ _Well that, and because our main headquarters is based there in Japan. It’s about time my father steps down and I take over it._ ”

Midorima chewed on his bottom lip as he processed the words. Akashi still opted to act mighty and stubborn, pretending that him going back was not a big deal, even after he had shown Midorima a glimpse of his heart hidden behind his cold, hard façade.

He wanted to stand up and walk out, book a ticket and maybe meet Akashi halfway just to punch said man square in the face. It did not help that Midorima knew _everything_ and that he had to shield the truth from both ends— Akashi’s and Kuroko’s. Even if he was not the only person who got tangled in the mess of secrets that had accumulated in the past years, it was he who was closest to Akashi, and it was he who carried a heavier weight. Running his hand through his green hair, Midorima suppressed a sigh and swallowed back down the rants and complaints he was tempted to say.

“Of course.” he managed to say. There was the sound of footsteps from Akashi’s end.

“ _I called to inform you of my arrival._ ” And to confirm that he will have someone to go back to, Midorima thought.  _“I apologize if I interrupted your work, Shintaro.”_

 _“_ It’s fine. I’m used to it. _”_ Akashi laughed at his response. It irked him a bit, but he easily let it go. The footsteps he could hear from Akashi’s background ceased and once again, there was only Akashi’s tensed breathing.

“ _I’ve missed a lot, haven’t I?_ ” Akashi asked and Midorima clenched his jaw, the heaviness in his heart weighing more and more as the question was kept hanging for longer.

“Yes.” He swallowed and wet his chapped lips. “Yes you did.” _You have no idea._

“ _Well then, see you in a week._ ” Akashi’s voice shook. Midorima closed his eyes. His head began to ache.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Kuroko was woken up with the smell of something sweet coming from the kitchen. Given their average living space, it was easy to know everything that was going on in their home even if he stayed put at one place. The smell was heavenly, making his stomach rumble but at the same time, tempting him to go back to sleep and satisfy his hunger with candy-filled dreams. But the sudden spacious bed, the absence of a small warm body that was supposed to be curled up against his chest, forced him to detach himself from the comfort of the thick covers.

 The door was already half-open, and as Kuroko climbed down the bed his legs dragged the blanket down the floor, but it went past his notice. His thoughts were still hazed after having just got up. When he went past their bedroom, he squinted at the sudden bright light that came from the windows amplified by the white lights from the kitchen. He blinked and rubbed his eyes. Seated on one of the stools was a child who bore the same light blue eyes as his, which was a contrast of her dark red hair.

“Chiasa-chan.” He called, voice still a bit edgy. The girl turned her head towards him and immediately her face was adorned with a tiny smile. She angled herself properly, getting ready to push herself off from the height of the stool she was sitting on.

“Mama,” She jumped off, her hair swaying behind her as she walked towards Kuroko who was already crouching down with open arms. “good morning.”

“Good morning too, Chiasa-chan.” He gave her a peck on the forehead before peering over her shoulder, spotting Kagami’s back against them. Said man was busy flipping pancakes on his pan, oblivious as ever to the new smell that entered the kitchen.

“Kagami-san is cooking chocolate chip pancakes.” Chiasa explained with a hint of excitement in her voice, making Kuroko smile. “But I helped too, mama!”

“Really?” Kuroko’s eyes lit up. “If that’s the case then I cannot wait to eat!”

Her eyes mirrored the same spark in his own, and shortly, Kuroko was being pulled towards where Chiasa was previously seated. While Kagami busied himself with the pancakes, Kuroko went to work on tying Chiasa’s hair up with a black and thin band that he always kept around his wrist, which was exactly for the purpose of tying her hair. They both engaged in a light conversation, with Chiasa telling him stories and asking questions that Kuroko tried to answer with the best of his abilities. Even if the questions bordered on _‘why is Kagami-san’s eyebrows like that?’_ to which Kuroko had difficulty in answering.

“Why don’t you ask Kagami-kun yourself, Chiasa-chan?” He offered, but she simply looked and stared at Kagami’s back before shaking her head. At this, Kuroko’s eyebrows were raised. “Is there something wrong?”

“I tried to ask him a while ago.” She answered, shooting another glance at Kagami’s back. It was then that Kuroko realized that Chiasa was hoping that Kagami would turn around and notice them. Kuroko secured that Chiasa’s hair was neatly tied up before he moved to be able to face his daughter, meeting her eyes.

“Do you want me to show you a trick, Chiasa-chan?” He asked, unidentifiable mischief sparkled in his seemingly blank irises. Chiasa nodded and it was all he needed to execute. Without even trying, he sneaked up behind Kagami, who still was unaware of Kuroko’s presence. He looked back at Chiasa; the girl was now watching him expectantly. Kuroko smiled, Chiasa nodded, and without letting another second pass by, Kuroko stood on the tip of his toes and blew hot air at the back of Kagami’s ear.

“Fuck!”

The man’s reaction afterward was not disappointing and Kuroko was quick to walk back and return beside his now thoroughly amazed daughter. Chiasa’s lips were parted in delight as she watched Kagami jump up and freak out, a string of english curses pouring out of his mouth.

“Mama, Kagami-san is cursing, isn’t he?” Chiasa looked up at him with wide, glossy eyes.  Despite not liking that his daughter could now actually understand what Kagami was saying, Kuroko nodded and failed to retract the small smile from his lips.

“Yes he is, and it’s a bad habit so don’t be like Kagami-kun, okay Chiasa-chan?” Chiasa nodded in understanding before whipping her head back to now see a flustered Kagami looking back at Kuroko with surprise.

“Oi, Kuroko! Since when did you— never mind.” Kagami rolled his eyes, one hand ruffling his own red hair and making it messier. “Was that you? Oh no, wait, don’t answer that. It was you.”

“Good morning to you too, Kagami-kun.” He greeted, amusement painted on his face. “You’re rather early today. Chiasa-chan told me you were making chocolate chip pancakes.”

“Hah. Yeah. Your _Kuroko-chibi_ requested for it.”

“My name is Chiasa, Bakagami-san.”

“Oi!” Kagami’s funny eyebrows furrowed as he pointed a finger at Chiasa who pretended to cower in her mama’s embrace.

“Kagami-kun,” Kuroko faked a frown. “Please don’t shout. She’s just a child.” Kagami grunted and was about to retort but Chiasa beat him to speaking.

“Kagami-san should get mated. He’s turning really grumpy.” She said, even giving him a pointed look. When she noticed that Kagami was about to snarl back, Chiasa once again clung to Kuroko. “Right, mama?”

“Yes, you’re right, Chiasa-chan.” _Of course,_ Kagami thought. “Kagami-kun should really get a girlfriend.”

“Or a boyfriend!” Chiasa exclaimed and Kuroko nodded, repeating his daughter’s words.

“Or a boyfriend, indeed.”

Kagami’s eyes twitched. He obviously just had been ganged up and played by the two omegas before him, but after years of looking out for both parent and child, Kagami was already plenty used to the light bullying from the duo. Besides, they never failed to show him gratitude for all the cooking (and babysitting) he had done for them. Even in the simplest form, like Chiasa trying to massage his sore hands or Kuroko treating him out for burgers, Kagami could always feel the appreciation for his efforts. It was during those moments that he would remember what Chiasa and Kuroko’s nature really were— the gentlest, kindest, most caring, most comforting to be with, in the hierarchy. 

He simply found himself shaking his head and returning back to cooking the few left, at the same time hiding the smile that crept on his face. From an outsider’s point of view, they would be the picture of a perfect family without any doubt. Chiasa had the same hair, just with an obviously lighter and striking shade, but it was red all the same. She can be easily mistaken as his.

“Bakagami-san is awfully slow.” He heard Chiasa complain followed by Kuroko’s giggles.

“Shut up, kid, or you’re not getting any.”

But he never did once try to pursue Kuroko, and never will he even try to court him. Because Kagami believed that with the six years of doing the same routine (he most often than not slept at Kuroko’s house), being able to establish a deeper, stronger connection not only to Kuroko but to Chiasa as well, one that could possibly pass as a lover’s and a father’s affection, if they were truly to be mates for life and that child was to acknowledge him as her father, it would have happened already a long, long, long time ago.

Kagami was not stupid. Although he did not mind, he knew that the family was not meant to be his.

“Don’t be mean to Chiasa-chan.” Kuroko jokingly scolded and Kagami only rolled his eyes before turning around with a plateful of newly cooked pancakes. The smell wafted in the air, and even if he could not sense-slash-smell-slash whatever it was that alphas could do to read omegas, he knew for sure that both Chiasa and Kuroko were delighted and famished with how their usually blank eyes sparkled. Especially Kuroko.

“Did you not eat dinner last night?” He asked. Kuroko looked at him knowing that it was only he who Kagami was pertaining to. Chiasa was already reaching for her own plate of pancakes.

“I was busy. There were a lot of papers to check.” was Kuroko’s easy reply as he rounded the table to fetch the bottle of syrup from one of the cupboards. Kagami frowned.

“You ought to take care of yourself more.” Kagami, by habit, reached out and ruffled Kuroko’s rebellious bed hair. He faintly heard the soft purr the man emitted from the touch before blue eyes looked up at him with a soft smile.

“Yes mother.” Kuroko answered before walking back towards Chiasa and giving her the bottle of syrup.

“Whatever.” Kagami muttered to himself and decided to get his own plate. He waited for the two to get their share, with Chiasa’s plate having two pancakes and Kuroko’s had only one.

There were about a dozen more left, making Kagami sigh. He knew better than try to feed Kuroko more than what the omega got for himself.

“Any plans today?” He asked before shoving a mouthful of panckes in his mouth. He watched as Kuroko and Chiasa drizzled an excessive amount of syrup on their food.

“Ah, now that you mentioned it.” Kuroko paused, eyes lost for a moment as if he was trying to remember something. “Kise-kun and Momoi-san messaged me last night. They’re going shopping today.” He turned to Chiasa, hand gently patting her head. “And they’re asking if you want to come, Chiasa-chan.”

The child looked up at Kuroko with her cheeks puffed up full of pancakes. She chewed with her mouth closed, careful not to make a sound just like what Kuroko told her along with how improper it was to talk with a full mouth. Chiasa replied with a nod and her eyes widened a bit. The smell in the air was filled with childish anticipation.

“Alright, I’ll call them.” Kuroko kissed the top of her head. “Finish your food first, okay?”

She gave another nod and Kuroko turned to see Kagami already holding and handing him the phone. He took it with a smile, his lithe fingers brushing against Kagami’s rough ones.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun.”

It took but a few rings before Kise’s ever so lively voice nearly blasted through the line, and Kuroko had to put the phone away from his ear for a moment. He saw Kagami staring at the phone, a little bit surprised that he could hear Kise from where he stood. The conversation was surprisingly fast, and Kagami quietly observed the subtle expressions that appeared on Kuroko’s face. Without the ability to detect smell, years being close to Kuroko helped him at least decipher the tiniest changes in the man’s face, tone, and behavior.

“ _I’ll see you at ten, Kurokocchi!_ ” Kagami heard Kise from the phone.

“Don’t be late, Kise-kun.”

“ _I won’t! I’ll also tell Momoicchi! See you later!_ ”

“See you later.”

 The phone call ended.

“I have no idea where Kise gets his energy.” Kagami commented with a shrug of shoulders. Kuroko raised a brow at him and for a time, he waited for the man to speak. But Kuroko simply continued to stare at him, face void of any emotion and it made Kagami feel as if his omega friend was judging him. He was chewing his pancakes slower, own red eyes trying to read Kuroko but failing. “W-what?”

Kuroko stared at him for a little while longer before a smile finally, to Kagami’s relief, broke out.

“Nothing, Kagami-kun. I was merely trying to freak you out. Did it work?”

“Shut up.” Kagami spat, and the amusement in Kuroko’s eyes meant that he was able to give the man the answer he needed.

“Mama, I’m done.” Their heads both turned towards Chiasa, and she looked back at them looking neat and proper with her hands flat on her lap, back straight. The fork was properly placed at the right side of her now spotless plate, an indication that she just finished her meal. Kagami could see approval in Kuroko’s eyes.

“Alright, go take a bath already while I prepare your clothes, okay?”

“Okay.”

He helped Chiasa off the chair, and she jogged immediately towards the bathroom, her light footsteps not making a sound against the floor. Both Kuroko and Kagami waited until Chiasa completely disappeared behind the door. A heavy breath escaping Kuroko as he took Chiasa’s vacated seat and Kagami was quick to walk and stand by his side, gently placing a mug of freshly brewed coffee. A big, warm, and calloused hand cradled the side of Kuroko’s face and he let Kagami’s thumb gently run over the bags under his eye.

“You’ve barely slept.” Kagami said and observed that Kuroko did not lean against his touch, as always. He was never pried away either. “You’re pushing yourself too much.”

“Am I?” Kuroko sighed wearily but kept smiling. “I just want to do my best, for her.”

“You’ve been holding up your best since you had her.”

“But it’s not enough, is it?”

Kagami was silent for a moment. A suggestion he had lone been telling Kuroko surfacing up on his thoughts.

“Don’t you think it’s about time you find…” He trailed, not bothering to finish as he knew that Kuroko would pick up the message. There was a soft hum, Kuroko sounded like he was actually thinking about it but Kagami knew that the idea he offered did not even make it past Kuroko’s mental debate panel. Instead, he looked up at Kagami and batted his eyelashes as he reached for the creamer.

“Oh my,” he spoke with a teasing tone. “Is Kagami-kun hitting on me?”

Snorting, Kagami pulled his hand away and crossed his arms over his chest before biting out an “As if.” It made Kuroko laugh, at least. When the laughter died down, and Kuroko was halfway through reaching an average sized Mason jar full of sugar, Kagami went on. “Haven’t met someone good enough, yet?”

Kuroko briefly glanced at him before focusing back to mixing himself a cup of coffee. He did not give an answer.

“Or maybe you never even considered finding a mate.”

He was answered by the sound of the teaspoon clinking against the mug as Kuroko stirred his drink. No answer.

“Are you still waiting for him?”

Kuroko’s wrist paused, his blue glassy eyes reflecting the swirling pool of brown liquid below him. It was almost hypnotizing, but he caught himself before he drowned. Keeping his face neutral, he brought the cup to his lips and sipped against the edge. Bitterness exploded in his mouth. He needed more sugar.

“Kuroko,” Kagami pressed, and sensing the impatience in Kagami’s tone, Kuroko turned to look at his friend.

“I’m not waiting for anyone.” He answered simply before continuing on putting more sugar in his coffee. “I just want to be a good parent to Chiasa. I don’t need anyone.”

“You’re ly—.”

“Sometimes I wish you were an alpha, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko took a sip from his coffee, finally finding the taste to his liking. He could feel Kagami’s eyes on him, waiting for him to continue. “Because then, all you’ll have to do is sniff the air and know that I am saying the truth. I’m not shaken, I’m not longing for something, someone, anyone.” Kuroko placed his mug down and looked at Kagami in the eye. “That I’m completely satisfied with my life now.”

“But what if he comes back?” Kagami asked, fighting the urge to give up the conversation. He rarely had talks like this with Kuroko because Chiasa was always around, and the things they discussed were topics that the child should not hear.

“Then he comes back.”

“Will you tell him?” Kuroko was now feeling irked with the questions he had no idea where Kagami picked up. Why the talk all of a sudden? His eyes narrowed.

“Kagami-kun, if he comes back then he comes back but until then, I don’t want to burden myself with such thoughts. I want to focus on Chiasa, and Chiasa alone. I prioritize her happiness and her future more than anything else..” Kuroko was to take another sip but decided against it, feeling his appetite for caffeine disappear. He placed the mug down with a bit of force, making the contents spill a little and crawl down the side. He stood up. “If you’ll excuse me, Kagami-kun. I still have to prepare Chiasa-chan’s clothes.”

Kagami could only watch Kuroko’s back retreat towards the single room in the whole apartment. He scowled, not at all happy with the way Kuroko reacted with his questions. It was true. He was no alpha so there was no telling what Kuroko really felt. But then again even if he were an alpha, he doubted he would be able to sense anything, any sort of emotion from his stubborn friend. Because as far as he knew, Aomine and Midorima were both alphas yet when they tried to squeeze anything out from Kuroko, at the end of the  day they were empty handed. Even Kise, who they thought would be able to understand Kuroko’s sentiments being a fellow omega, failed considerably.

Up to this day, no one knew what exactly went on Kuroko’s mind, and it did not help that the others heard nothing from Akashi as well.

“Kagami-kun?” Kagami was startled to hear Kuroko’s voice. The sharp edges on his words had disappeared. Kuroko’s head was peeking from the bedroom door.

“Y-yes?”

“Since you’re here, can you please wash the dishes?” The cold expression on Kuroko’s face was gone too. Kagami was not sure if the quick change was a good thing or not.

“It’s not like I have a choice.” He grumbled under his breath and Kuroko’s eyes softened.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun.” It must have been his imagination or from his overthinking, but Kagami felt as if Kuroko was thanking him for a lot more reasons than the dishes. He decided to let it go, knowing that thinking about it too much would lead him to nowhere. He scratched the back of his neck and turned his back against Kuroko.

“Yeah, whatever.”


	2. Chapter 2

Akashi casually tugged on his sleeves covering his wrist, a nervous trait, but something that people simply saw as him fixing some tiny creases. The meeting was long over, the deal was sealed, the press conference was done, and all of it went remarkably well as expected, but his thoughts had long drifted away from the events of his business life and what was causing the little bit of anxiety he felt was the dwindling of time. 

It had been four nights ago since he had phoned Midorima and told him of his return, and it was only an hour ago when he carelessly announced it to the world. Not that it was a wrong move and it would affect anything in the formation of partnership he had just gotten through, nor would it stir his reputation as a well-known, absolute and perfectionist business icon. His journey back to Japan and his decision to reside there permanently was not a big of a deal at all. Akashi Masaomi was ready to give him the highest seat, switching places with him from CEO to President of their business empire. It was no secret, and there was no reason to even be secretive about it. All he said was that he had decided it was about time he minded the root of all the success, the place where everything began, where the first Akashi Empire was built: Japan.

“Mr. Akashi!” Camera flashes attacked him the moment he stepped out of the establishment’s doors, but his eyes remained looking straight ahead as he walked undisturbed. His bodyguards took care of the commotion that the media— those from small news networks and publishing that were not allowed inside the press conference earlier— was making. “Mr. Akashi! Please look here!”

 He easily ignored them. Whatever he heard in one ear came out quickly at the other and nothing was able to pull him away from his inner musings.

 Akashi had no reason to worry if his concern was only directed towards business, economy, fame, money, and reputation, but those were not what he had in mind. The door was opened for him and ducked (one of the exceptions people would see him bow his head) to get in and make himself comfortably seated on leather seats. The door was closed and he crossed his legs, hands on his lap, his face stoic. With the noise from the outside blocked, his inner thoughts were left in the company of his car engine’s soft hum.

 The news about his return would surely appear in major newspapers, a few magazines, and had a chance to be mentioned in some news channels not only in Europe but as well as Japan. What was poking in his thoughts was how would Kuroko react if he knew of his return?

“Tetsuya.”

 Akashi’s shoulders slumped, a sigh escaping his mouth as the stiffness that caused his back muscles to ache was relieved after a long day of carrying himself with respectable poise and redeeming pride. Hearing his own voice say Kuroko’s name, hushed, like a whisper, cracked and chipped away the freezing blank expression on his face.

 His lips curled down in a frown and his eyebrows were furrowed. His fingers twitched, and his eyes that most people feared to meet were hidden behind exhausted lids. Akashi could see darkness, and the darkness was soon replaced with a memory of Kuroko’s face. Midorima said that he did not change a bit, but then Midorima only spoke of Kuroko’s being in general. The lack of detail was disappointing, but he should have known that what Midorima, and probably the what the rest knew about Kuroko, were the only things that the blue haired omega only allowed them to see.

 Kuroko was more than a person with excellent skills in concealing his presence. Akashi knew, from the years he shamefully observed Kuroko during their middle school days and during the times they got to meet in high school, that Kuroko was also a professional at concealing what he truly felt and thought.

 It took a long time and determination to finally see in between the gaps that Kuroko sometimes forgot to patch up.

 It was he who first was able to decipher and crack the code of Kuroko’s words that were always brushed off as a teasing joke by Aomine, a mean retort by Kise, and a nonsense by Midorima. It was Akashi who first saw Kuroko shed real tears. He was the first one to be able to sense that something was wrong, the first to notice the change in the air that surrounded Kuroko at times, the first to detect distress, happiness, weariness, longing, and craving, all of which that were carefully tucked and locked away by Kuroko himself, preventing anyone from acquiring the slightest hint to what he could really be feeling.

 Akashi was the first to know everything, and he liked to dwell in the possibility that he was the only one.

 He frowned. He should have not left.

 “We have arrived, Mr. Akashi.” The voice of his driver snapped him out of his trance-like state and automatically, he was postured like the high-end man that he was. When the door was opened for him, he was relieved that the media did not follow him all the way to his building and was calmly greeted by his English secretary. Without having to say another word, she was on her heels, following him inside quickly in hurried steps as she tried to catch up to Akashi’s stride.

 He sensed panic oozing from of her and out of consideration for doing a good job at never letting her being as an omega affect her work and attitude towards him, Akashi slowed down. Once they were both inside and she was able to catch her breath, she recited Akashi’s schedule for the rest of the afternoon.

 “At half past four, you will be having a meeting with the board regarding the resignation of Ms. Swann. Estimated time it would take would be about an hour, giving you thirty minutes to prepare for your photo shoot and interview with Esquire Magazine at floor 10. At seven-thirty, another brief interview plus photo shoot but this time with Crown Magazine.”

 Akashi raised a brow. “Crown?”

 “Yes.” She answered and elaborated before Akashi threw another question. “They submitted a request three months ago and it was approved last month, scheduled for today. Crown would like to include you in their annual release of the top ten bachelor alphas and betas in the world.”

 The elevator doors opened and Akashi fought the urge to roll his eyes as they both walked and reached his office.

 “Cancel the Crown interview. I’m no longer interested.” He slumped on his chair and pulled on the drawer where kept a box of cigarettes. Taking one, he placed it in between his lips and lit it up effortlessly with a gold plated lighter. His secretary was already crossing out Crown on her tablet without further question— another reason why he tolerated her despite the sudden bursts of a stressed aura from time to time.

 “I will send them a message.”

 “Good. Anything else?” He asked, smoke crawling out from his nostrils. His eyes had wandered off towards the city’s view from his window.

 “Mr. Burnt invited you to attend his birthday party this evening, at eight, in his hotel.”

 “Cancel that too.”

 “Noted, sir.” She erased and made a note to make a call. “You are free for the rest of the evening. You have two hours before the board meeting. That is all.”

 Akashi heard her heels clicking against the marble floors, fading until she was out of his office without another word. He continued to puff smoke, inhaling it and releasing it out along with the tensions in his mind. Despite the brightness outside, he could still see a bit of his reflection on the glass window and he stared at it, watching the smoke swirl around his face and wondering if Kuroko knew he had started smoking, would he tell him to stop?

 Akashi bit his lip to prevent a smile, knowing that Kuroko certainly would. 

* * *

 It was already late and Chiasa had drifted to sleep a few hours ago, but Kuroko was still up, reading glasses perked on his face as his eyes wearily scanned through his students’ essays. He always had the option of grading them randomly. If the words reached more than two pages, he could give it a perfect score. A single page could be given a fair passing grade. But Kuroko believed it was unethical to not give time to read the work that his students spent a lot of time on thinking and composing. No efforts should ever be wasted and all hard work should at least be recognized. The temptation of postponing his checking was poking his cheek, pulling on his shirt, and whispering sweet nothings to his already groggy brain, but he resiliently kept on.

 He was already done by over a half when the doorbell rang, followed by a few heavy knocks. Kuroko glanced at the clock and wondered who would be knocking at his door an hour past midnight. It could be Kagami but the redhead possessed a spare key. The knocks came again and it sounded more hurried, but lighter, and Kuroko by then already had an idea to who it was. His instincts were kicking in and he could already sense something wrong in the air. Stifling a yawn, he rushed over to open the door and as he expected, he saw Kise standing and looking like a mess.

 “Kise-kun.” Kuroko stepped aside and gave room for Kise to enter, the man’s blond hair was unruly and his equally golden eyes were red and puffy from too much crying. At least, Kuroko though to himself, Kise was not wailing like a child.

 “I’m sorry I forgot to call, Kurokocchi.” Kise made an attempt to smile, but his lips ended up quivering. Kuroko silently guided him to sit down on the couch before proceeding to prepare them both cups of hot white tea. “Where’s Asacchi?”

 “Chiasa-chan’s already sleeping.” Kuroko pointed at the closed door of their room. “She got pretty tired in her class today after P.E.”

 “I see.”

The sound of Kuroko’s soft footsteps took over the silence afterwards, along with Kise’s sniffing. It took a while before the water boiled, and Kise watched Kuroko pace around gracefully in the kitchen, not a sound to be heard from his movements except the natural plops of boiling water and the swishing it made as it was poured down the cup. The teaspoon clinked against the ceramic as Kuroko added a few teaspoons of sugar, knowing that they both liked their tea with a tinge of sweetness.

Kise felt bad for not being able to help at all, and for letting Kuroko welcome and take care of him during an ungodly hour. But should he attempt to offer his assistance he was sure to break the expensive china tea set that Midorima gave Kuroko as a gift, claiming that it was his lucky item on his birthday.

“Would you like something to eat? Kagami-kun cooked a bit too much again.” Kuroko offered but Kise shook his head. He did not have the appetite as of the moment. Kuroko settled beside him on the couch, cradling his own cup of tea in delicate fingers while Kise simply stared down at it, watching his distorted reflection.

“What did Aomine-kun do this time?”

Kise almost flinched as the question was suddenly fired without warning but it was to be expected from Kuroko. He took a sip from his tea, the warmth and sweetness helping him calm his nerves and even his breathing.

“It was my fault.” Kise mumbled but it was loud enough for Kuroko to hear.

“Okay. What did you do this time?”

“Ouch. That sounded mean, Kurokocchi.” It was a dry laugh, one that made Kuroko frown at Kise for such a lame attempt at lighting the mood up even for a bit. When Kise finally met Kuroko’s eyes, he saw the genuine concern and worry on the other’s face and he figured that his despair must have been affecting Kuroko as well.

Kise’s fingers clung to the warmness of the cup in his hold.

“Daicchi went home this morning with a knife wound,” Kise pointed at the side of his stomach just below the rib cage. “right here. I almost didn’t know about it, but he was too clingy and he was… moving a lot and eventually the wound was opened and there was blood in his uniform and,” Kise paused and took a deep breath. “and of course I panicked but Daichii was just like ‘ _it’s not a big deal, Ryouta’_ but I was like, ‘ _no! You told me you can’t come home last night because you needed to examine some newly discovered evidences and shit but you didn’t tell me you’re going out to chase that fucking mass murderer you’ve been trying to catch for months now!_ The point is, he lied to me, Kurokocchi! He told me he’s gonna be at the station to pull an all nighter but no! He was actually going to get himself potentially killed!”

Kuroko noticed Kise’s fingers dangerously gripping his cup so he gently pulled it away before it was crushed. Kise did not however seem to notice that his hands were emptied as he continued on his rant.

“But then he said sorry, and calmed me down with that, that scenting thing, like he was rubbing his nose here,” Kise pointed behind his left ear. “and I was calm and all, and then everything was okay. I treated his wound, disinfected it, changed the bandage, and everything was really okay. Then suddenly, when we were kissing and hugging, his phone suddenly rang and it was his chief and I can hear his chief screaming on the phone and he said that they’ve sighted this person somewhere and he was asking Daicchi to come and Daicchi was like ‘ _I’ll be there in ten’_ and I’m like ‘ _no!’_  but he was like he really needed to go and I got mad and I yelled at him and said that he could go fuck and die for all I care and he looked hurt! Really, really hurt and I feel so guilty but I didn’t apologize and then he left.”

Kise was heaving afterwards, eyes turning redder as he shed the tears he expected to have run out by then. Kuroko stood up and got him a glass of water, which he down in less than a minute but it was not enough to stop his hiccups. Both their cups of tea were settled on the small table and was forgotten along with Kuroko’s work.

“I shouldn’t have said that.” Kise felt remorseful and the only thing Kuroko could do was rub his back as a gesture of comfort.  ”That was wrong, and I know it’s too mean even for someone as strong as Daicchi. I shouldn’t have fucking said that! And now I don’t know what to do. I left home and went here. Daicchi’s probably not going back home anyway and being alone back in our bedroom was killing me.”

Kise bit and chewed on his lower lip, the sobs hushing down to silence that stretched for a few seconds more until Kuroko deemed it fine to speak up, having Kise look like he already was calm from his expected outburst.

“Running away wasn’t exactly a good idea as well.” Kuroko sighed and Kise only nodded, muttering an ‘ _I know,’_ “But Kise-kun shouldn’t be too hard on his self.” Kuroko took the empty glass away from Kise’s hands. “Aomine-kun is at fault for choosing to leave you even after what happened.”

“And for lying.” Kise supplied and Kuroko agreed, but it did nothing to diminish the guilt that ate Kise’s insides. “But that doesn’t make up for what I said, Kurokocchi. Tell me, if you were at my place, what would you have done?”

Kise did not know what kind of answer he exactly was expecting to hear. Probably, knowing Kuroko to harbor tranquility and peace in his soul being the kind of person who never let his emotions get ahead of him that sometimes it became troublesome, Kise thought that Kuroko would probably say something along the lines of ‘ _I’d get mad, but I’ll let Aomine-kun go and tell him I’ll be waiting for him to come back home and then we’ll talk.’_

“I don’t know.” Kuroko honestly answered, eyes casted down the small, square pillow he placed on his lap to warm his thighs. Kise glanced at him curiously. “What I mean to say is, I wouldn’t really know how I would have acted in your situation.” Kuroko offered him an apologetic smile. “I’ve never had such an argument with… anyone. I’m sorry.”

Kuroko’s answer took a while to sink in, and when it did, Kise felt the guilt now chomping on his very soul. He felt the familiar sting of arriving tears at the corner of his eyes, waiting to be deployed as soon as he lost grip of his emotions, but Kise willed himself not to cry because one of the things Kuroko hated was being the reason for someone else’s demise. Also, Kise knew that crying might make it look like he pitied Kuroko, and Kuroko was a person who did not deserve it even if at times, it could not be helped.

“Looking at you,” Kuroko spoke, making Kise look at him. “I’m kind of glad something like that did not, and probably will not, happen to me.” A new kind of pain pierced Kise’s heart. “You’re a total mess, Kise-kun.”

Kise shut his eyes and his fingers curled at the hem of his wrinkled shirt. He nodded, agreeing. “Y-yes I am.”

Kuroko stood up and dropped the pillow back at the couch. “I’ll reheat the tea then you can rest here after. You’re free to stay the night. If you want, you can stay beside Chiasa-chan. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight.”

“It’s okay. I’m comfortable here.” Kise’s puffy eyes watched Kuroko retreat back to the kitchen, doing what he always did best and that was caring and looking out for someone.

It was the reason he felt so bad, his mood turning for the worse after giving much thought on what could be behind Kuroko’s words. He knew that it was an attempt to lighten the mood, make him feel better, but Kuroko ended up subtly voicing out a deep sentiment he probably been bottling up inside for years. Because Kise had Aomine, and Aomine had Kise, and that simple thing was why they had a fight. And Kuroko? Well, he had Chiasa, but Chiasa was a child and she may be smart for her age, but she was still too young. It was not also as if Kuroko would even let her carry the knowledge of his own feelings on her shoulders.

“Here you go, Kise-kun.” Kuroko suddenly appearing before him was not something new, but it was still surprising. Kise felt as if his heart jumped within his chest, but he was quick to recover and took the reheated cup of tea from Kuroko’s hands. The aroma of his drink made him feel the aftereffect of crying to much as his eyes became heavy.

“Go to sleep after you’ve finished this, Kise-kun.” Kuroko gathered the papers and transferred them on the kitchen table.

“I will. Thanks again, Kurokocchi.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kise did not want to say that Kuroko was alone, because he swore to all the gods and saints that he would be in Kuroko’s beck and call should his assistance be needed no matter how petty or not. If Kuroko would call him just because he could not open the jar of sugar, he would be rushing over, and Kise knew that the rest of his friends shared the same sentiments as him. But Kise knew that there were holes in Kuroko’s life that neither he nor any of their friends could fill, that there were spaces in the puzzle that was not meant for them to complete.

For a while, he watched Kuroko work under the white lights over the kitchen table as he silently prayed for everything to turn out all right not just between him and Aomine, but for Kuroko as well.

* * *

It did not take long before the silence of his home was filled by Kise’s light snores and unconscious mumblings, which at that time were mostly soft calls on Aomine’s name. Kuroko was down to reading less than ten of his students’ essays, and he allowed himself to observe Kise squirm under the blanket he had draped over Kise’s body. His chin rested on the palm of his hand, fingers gently tapping his red pen at the side of his skull, a habit whenever he lost himself in his own thoughts.

Kise’s arrival had taken him by surprise despite it not being uncommon, but that did not mean Kuroko was used to seeing Kise’s eyes shedding liters of tears. Kuroko prayed to himself that Aomine would come sooner because he was really, really close to falling asleep in his seat, having finished his work ten minutes ago.

He listlessly glanced at the wall clock that was hung at the wall on his right side and yawned, not forgetting to cover his mouth. It was almost three in the morning, and he estimated Aomine to arrive anytime before the hands of the clock hit four as he now knew by heart Kise and Aomine’s make up routine. After all, it was hardly the first time Kise came running to him in tears, carrying with him his tantrums, rants, and complaints. And without fail, Aomine would be knocking at his door in a matter of hours that never went beyond five, with no consideration as to what time it was at all, ready to bring Kise home. Aomine had barged into Kuroko’s home at three in the morning too many times already. Kuroko was certain that this time was not going to be any different.

His eyes had closed and his head was already bobbing from side to side when his phone vibrated against the wooden table, the buzz it made, which seemed to be scandalously loud given the tranquility of his home, almost made Kuroko jump in his seat. _It must be Aomine-kun,_ he thought and answered his phone without bothering to check who it was. Another yawn threatened to escape past his lips but he stifled it.

“Aomine-kun,” Kuroko rubbed his eyes in an effort to be more aware and conscious. “what time will you be here?”

There was a questioning sound from the other end followed by some shuffling and then silence, making Kuroko frown. He did not have time for this.

“Aomine-kun, Kise-kun’s here. If you’re going to get him now, say so. I want to sleep.” Kuroko glanced at the clock again and mentally calculated the very few hours he had left before he needed to prepare for the day.

“ _Kuroko_ , _what are you talking about?_ ”

Kuroko? Hearing his last name, he immediately knew it was not Aomine on the phone, but the voice was too familiar that it was easy to recognize. However, he felt his drowsiness slowly fade away as questions began to surface. Off all the people that could possibly call him at almost three in the morning, Midorima was the very last person on the list.

“Midorima-kun?” He blinked his eyes to full awareness, eyebrows furrowing in question.

“ _Correct._ ” He heard Midorima huff, obviously not happy to be mistaken to be Aomine. “ _I didn’t expect you’d answer._ ”

“I didn’t expect your call.”

“ _What’s the deal with Aomine?_ ”

“Ah,” Kuroko’s eyes drifted towards Kise who was still sleeping peacefully on his couch. “Kise-kun’s here.”

“ _Again?_ ”

“Yes.”

“ _They never learn._ ”

Kuroko agreed but decided not to voice it out. It may be that he was the one always caught in between their fights, but never did he think of it as an inconvenience. No matter what anyone said, to him, he would not have it any other way.

“Midorima-kun, why are you calling?” He asked, remembering the matter at hand. Midorima’s breaths were audible.

“ _I need to tell you something._ ” Before he could ask, Midorima’s voice went through again and Kuroko did not miss the slight tremble along with it. Somehow, it gave him a bad feeling. Midorima was not someone who called him often, and the fact that he called at an unlikely hour was enough for Kuroko to suspect something was wrong. He heard Midorima mutter about Kuroko’s zodiac sign to be ranked last for the whole coming week. “ _It’s about Akashi._ ”

Kuroko was all ears with pure curiosity and nothing else.

“What about Akashi-kun?”

“ _He’s coming back here._ ”

“Oh.” was all Kuroko said. At least Akashi was not dead, he thought. Midorima was quiet, and Kuroko knew that his friend must have been waiting for a reaction from him, something better than a simple ‘ _oh’, which_ hardly told anything. And Kuroko would have loved to give justice to Midorima’s bravery in telling him the news, to give him a proper response in exchange for going through his hesitations.

Kuroko would have, really, if there were anything at all. Anything. But there was nothing, only the hollowness in his heart carved by the years of getting used to and accepting that Akashi was not coming back, and if he did, he was not coming for him.

“ _Kuroko?_ ”

“I’m sorry, Midorima-kun. I spaced out for a bit.” He exhaled and felt the exhaustion clung to him, tugging on his chest and making his breathing a bit labored. His eyes were drying from having stared at the papers for hours that he felt them sting, but they were moisturized in no time by the tears brought by the yawn he tried to stop minutes ago. His fingers shook from gripping the pen all night. Or so he believed. “It’s really late, and I haven’t gotten a wink of sleep.”

Midorima may not believe him, but Kuroko no longer cared and Midorima never said otherwise anyway.

“I think I should go to sleep now, Midorima-kun.” He gripped his phone tight, afraid that it might slip off his fingers from his loosening grip.

“ _Are you alright?_ ”

“Very.” His voice trembled and cracked, because his throat was drying and he just badly needed a glass of water. Staying up very late brought such burdens to his body. “I just need some sleep. There’s nothing to worry about.” Nothing at all, because Kuroko was okay, and had been perfectly okay for a long time now, but he appreciated the concern.

“ _You don’t have to lie to me._ ”

“What are you talking about, Midorima-kun?”

“ _You know what I’m telling you—_ ”

“I have to hang up now. My vision is getting a bit blurry.” He rubbed his eyes. He rubbed them too much, trying to get rid of the itch at first but then it just felt so good to rub his eyes until they were sore and red. Kuroko willed his hands to stop. He was getting sleepier. “Chiasa-chan might wake up if she doesn’t feel me beside her.”

“ _Kuroko—_ ”

“I will try to call you tomorrow, Midorima-kun. I promise.” Kuroko’s feet dragged him towards the bedroom, stopping right under the threshold after he briefly turned his head to see how Kise was doing. Said man was snuggling under the blankets. “But thank you for calling. I appreciate it.”

Midorima clicked his tongue.

“ _I’m busy with a lot of things, Kuroko._ ” Midorima’s voice came out just as tired as his own, but not as cold. “ _Still, I’ll make an exception for you. I will be waiting for your call._ ”

“Goodnight, Midorima-kun.”

“ _Goodnight._ ”

As soon as the call ended, all the energy and adrenaline that helped his legs sustain his weight almost ran out as Kuroko slumped against the support that the threshold and the bedroom door offered. He almost dropped his phone too, but his fingers were resilient enough to hold on to it as his arms flopped down and swayed at his side, tired and a little numb.

He took a deep breath in as his half-lidded eyes staring at the hill that Chiasa seemed to appear to be from balling and hiding her whole body underneath the covers. She must be cold, and Kuroko felt guilty for having to stay up so late to the point of draining himself and leaving but a bit of time to cuddle his daughter and sustain her the comforting warmth she needed from him, as well as the calming scent and the soothing touches.

Despite himself, a smile so small it was barely there crept up Kuroko’s lips as he listlessly made his way to join her daughter beneath the warm blanket, and with the complete darkness of the room, he surrendered his body and soul to sleep, hoping that a few hours of a dreamless slumber would be enough to make up with the restlessness his heart felt.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't expect to receive good feedbacks and now I'm just happy I decided to write this story. ;__; Thank youu!


	3. Chapter 3

The news about Akashi’s arrival spread among them like wildfire, and as soon as Kuroko received a text from Momoi, diligently followed by a call from Kise, he turned his phone off and pretended nothing was wrong— _because nothing was really wrong—_ and focused back on his lecture.

He could feel eyes on him, as always, and he did an excellent job on ignoring them completely. It was dragging at times, to teach all the while enduring the heated stares thrown behind his back by hormonal teen alphas who had a sad case of crushing on a teacher that was six years older. In the span of three years teaching kids in senior high, Kuroko had so far encountered fifteen brave confessions from students— betas and alphas alike— all of which that were turned down without a fighting chance. He would have long quit his job, preferring to teach kindergartners as it was his dream, but the pay in his current job is better and Chiasa needed all the support she could get from him, being a single parent.

At the end of the day, Kuroko could not will himself to feel bad, knowing that everything he had done and had been doing was paying off.

White dust had coated his fingers, his hand almost never letting go of the chalk even when he ceased to write, as he would explain the things he had written with elegant strokes. He was already half way to filling the board with notes on Japanese history when a knock on the door interrupted the trance of academic concentration that filled the room.

 “Kuroko-sensei,” A young woman three years older than Kuroko smiled apologetically for disturbing, not that he minded much. “Someone’s looking for you.”

 “Who?” He asked, not putting his hand down from where he stopped writing.

 “Someone named Midorima Shintaro?” She said, eyes looking away as she wondered if she had said the name correctly.

 “Is he alone?”

 “Yes.”

 It was a lie, and Kuroko knew it from how rehearsed that simple ‘yes’ sounded like that it was as if she expected his question, or was waiting for it. Midorima knew he was going to ask. Kuroko frowned, attention returning back to the board as he finished the sentence he was writing.

 “I am not done with my lecture yet.” He did not want to send the woman away to leave her in charge with dismissing Midorima (and probably Momoi or Kise, or both), letting her deliver his response as thought it a bit rude, but Kuroko did not have time for them. He was busy, and as much as he wished for another job, he still did value his students’ education. “You can go now, Kaede-sensei. I will just inform him myself that I am busy and cannot meet him at the moment.”

 He glanced down at the textbook that was balanced on his other palm, memorizing another sentence before writing it on the board. The thought of Midorima’s visit already drifting away form his thoughts as he let his mind be distracted by what he read. However, distracting himself was not going to get rid of Midorima’s presence itself, which was made known by the very man’s voice and sudden appearance by the door.

 “I figured you’d say that.”

 There was a spike in the air, and Kuroko felt chills at the back of his neck. Midorima was pissed at him and he knew why. Kuroko thought he could damn well say that the feeling was mutual. Uncontrollably, he himself was combating Midorima’s scent with his own agitated ones, and the whispers behind him started to become loud it was getting easier for Kuroko to understand what his students were saying.

 There were omegas whose pheromones unabashedly flew to the air, making obvious of their interest in Midorima. At the same time, some of his alpha students seemed to present a challenge as if their territory—being Kuroko— was breached. And so it was completely pointless. The weight of everyone’s mixed signals was getting to Midorima, and it only intensified his irritation. He gave a pointed look at the students who were all looking at him. While the omegas averted their gaze, the alphas either met Midorima’s eyes challengingly or pretended not to care. The betas remained silent, feeling nothing yet the anger on Midorima’s eyes was enough to scare them.

 Kuroko broke the chalk in his fingers, splitting it in two with the other half falling down the floor.

“Midorima-kun,” his voice, calm yet edgy at the same time, sliced through the pointless staring contest his friend held between his students who knew nothing better. Kuroko gently put the other half of the chalk down the table together with the book he held and clapped his hands free afterwards from the dust. “Let’s talk outside.”

Midorima remained staring— _glaring_ at him for five seconds longer, enough for Kuroko to gather his files and excuse himself from his wide-eyed class. This time, he kept all of his emotions in check, once again being unreadable to everyone. Was he afraid? Did he feel apologetic? Did he suddenly feel insecure? Threatened? No one knew, not even Midorima himself but the man no longer cared.

“Who’s with you?” Kuroko asked, standing right in front of Midorima who looked at Kaede disappointingly. The woman sputtered out defenses, telling him she did as she was told— to tell Kuroko that Midorima was alone. Out of fear and due to her submissive nature as an omega, no coherent explanation came out of her trembling lips. Kuroko sighed and walked past Midorima as he said, to her defense, “I figured she was lying. You shouldn’t be surprised.”

Midorima followed Kuroko outside without being told, leaving the rest gaping. It would be a while before the intensity of their barely wordy argument to settle down. Kuroko made a mental note to apologize properly to Kaede and his class immediately after his business with Midorima was over.

“Momoi came with me.” Midorima answered after they turned another corridor. “She’s waiting by the entrance.”

“Downstairs? Why?” Kuroko looked up in question. “I’m not leaving the school premises, Midorima-kun. I’m in the middle of working.”

“You’re not anymore. I’ve already asked permission from your faculty head. You’re free for the rest of the day.”

“I disagree.” He countered, stopping on his tracks right before they took a step down from the staircase. “You’re holding my time by talking to me. If I’m free then let me go home and shower, and spare me from your planned interrogation.”

“We need to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about.” Kuroko rolled his eyes and once again went a step further ahead of Midorima as he descended down the steps. He felt Midorima’s anger prickling his skin but he was more than used to it already. “Calm down, Midorima-kun. You’re too strong and you’d disturb the other classes.”

“’I’ve reached the point where I no longer care.” Midorima caught up and walked by Kuroko’s side.

“But you seem to care overly for me. Let it go.”

“Did you really think I’d let this go?” Midorima’s voice rose. “You’ve avoided everyone since I told you the news.”

“I was and am not avoiding anyone.” Kuroko countered, his tone beginning to rise as well. He was fortunate enough that Midorima never let his dominating power against omegas a tool to make Kuroko submit to him. All the same, Kuroko never used his omega nature to try and sweet talk his way out, to draw sympathy from other and use it against Midorima. They may be the most incompatible among their group of friends, but the respect they held for one another was insurmountable.

Kuroko felt guilty for causing them all the trouble of worrying about him, but it was not his fault that he could not convince him that he was perfectly fine and had the situation under his control.

They did not say anything after until they spotted Momoi standing by the entrance as what Midorima said. Her expression was quick to change from impatience, to worry, then to relief after spotting both Kuroko and Midorima heading her way. She waved at them, not that she needed to because her hair and outfit were flashy enough to be seen and recognized from miles away.

“Another second more and I was going to follow you upstairs!” She exclaimed and met them halfway, completely oblivious to what had happened in Kuroko’s room as well as the heavy, infuriated aura that surrounded both men. Kuroko was thankful the Momoi, like Kagami, was a beta, because it saved him at least from a barrage of questions he did not feel like answering just yet.

“We’re sorry to keep you waiting, Momoi-san.” He welcomed her in his arms when she threw herself to him for a tight hug, one that he also gave Midorima earlier.

“It’s okay. You’re here now!” She withdrew, a bright smile adorning her face. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”

Midorima scoffed, and before Kuroko could lie about having no reason not to see them as he expected him too, he went ahead and beckoned Momoi and Kuroko to follow him.

“Let’s go. We’re wasting time here.”

He sensed Kuroko purposely announcing his irritation in the air. Midorima gladly returned the favor.

* * *

 Kuroko felt cornered with everyone staring at him, waiting for him to say something, anything, a sentence that included the word ‘Akashi’ anywhere whether in the beginning, middle, or at the end. But what would he say? Did he expect him to tell them to pray for Akashi’s safe flight?

He frowned, eyes meeting each of his friends’ own ones before stopping at Midorima, channeling everything bad he felt for being set up in a meeting, or rather, an interrogation. Kise was there, and so was Murasakibara given that it was his Coffee & Cakes shop they settled with. Aomine was on his way, according to Kise.

“Kuroko—” Midorima started, taking the lead but Kuroko cut him.

“What exactly do you want to hear from me?” He sounded bored, tired, exhausted, because he was in fact bored, tired, and exhausted from hearing the same questions over and over again despite his consistent answers that were not going to change anytime soon. “I know you’re all worried about me, but as I’ve said countless of times, I am okay.”

“But Kurokocchi, we wouldn’t even be here, doing this and talking to you if we know you’re okay.” Kise bit his lip after and waited for Kuroko to respond. When he did not, Kise continued talking. “You weren’t answering our calls, you weren’t responding to our texts, and I know even without seeing that you and Midorimacchi had a fight. It’s all over and I can sense it.”

Murasakibara approached their table and gave them their orders without a word. He would have joined the conversation if he could, but he had to keep his shop going. For a while since Kise, Momoi, and Midorima started grilling Kuroko, Murasakibara contented himself with the stressed signals they emitted and the torn look on their faces. Except Midorima. Murasakibara could sense the blood boiling up in the bespectacled greenhead’s veins.

“I don’t know what I should do to convince you that nothing is wrong with me. It has been six years, and you saw nothing wrong in me. There is no need to fret.”

“But that’s the point, Tetsu-kun!” Momoi piped in and leaned forward. “We heard _nothing_ from you all this time!”

“Momoi-san,” Kuroko paused and breathed in, calming himself down when he took to mind that it was Momoi, the most sensitive tearjerker in their group, who he was talking to this time. “I did talk to you, all of you, after you found out about Chiasa-chan three years ago. I did explain what happened, and I did tell you that there is nothing to worry about for the simple reason that I have moved on, and surely, so did Akashi-kun. Although there was nothing to be really hung up about because there was nothing between us in the first place.”

Kuroko’s hand shook but he hid it under the table. Kise however, seating beside Kuroko, noticed this but chose not to say anything. He remained silent and instead, from under the table, he held them. Kuroko squeezed his hand back as sign of his gratitude.

”It merely was a one night thing and there are no attachments whatsoever.” he breathed out, and soon enough a warm cup of vanilla spiked tea was put before him by Murasakibara. “Thank you.”

“Mido-chin and Sa-chin shouldn’t press on Kuro-chin too much.” Murasakibara was frowning, and it was not his usual tight-lipped face that shone but rather, he was expressing his annoyance openly. It was not rare for him to do so, but what was surprising from time to time was the show of concern. It was not that he was apathetic, but Murasakibara usually would choose to remain silent and let things go their way, like the universe’s way of mending itself naturally.

“Instead of asking him if he’s fine, which he already answered countless of times, why don’t you just get straight to the point?”

Midorima and Momoi exchanged glances, and Kuroko looked at Kise with furrowed brows.

“Is there something you are not telling me?” Kuroko asked, eyes quickly jumping from Kise’s to Midorima’s again. A new kind of tension sprung up in between them and Murasakibara took it as a cue to leave. His friends could handle things from there and he had a shop to keep running.

“Akashi is coming back tomorrow. His plane lands around seven in the morning.”

“I already know that, Midorima-kun.”

Kise slightly shifted in his seat and stared at Murasakibara and Momoi, waiting for them to continue because he could feel Kuroko’s impatience rising and it was not good if he snapped.

“The day after, a welcoming party will be held at one of their hotels. It was arranged by his father.” Midorima adjust his spectacles up at the bridge of his nose. “Akashi is inviting us on the party itself, and for the after party, which will solely cater us six.”

“It’s a reunion, Kurokocchi.” Kise smiled, but it did not reach his eyes. His hands still held Kuroko’s. Momoi looked anxiously at the quiet tealhead, trying to find any sort of emotion in Kuroko’s eyes, not wanting to miss the slightest twitch of muscle in his face.

She curled her fingers on her skirt as he stared up at Midorima and she noticed how his jaw was clenched, probably from gritting his teeth as his way of keeping control of himself. It was a huge relief for both her and Kise when Kuroko finally decided to speak, preventing Midorima’s agitation from increasing.

“Parties are usually held in the evening, after parties happen late at night.” Kuroko dropped his gaze to his tea, his fingers embracing its warmth. “Given that, as much as I want to, I can’t come.” He brought it up, and before taking a sip, he met Midorima’s eyes pointedly. “I’m not going.”

Midorima sighed, already expecting the answer.

“But Kurokocchi…”

“I have to look after Chiasa-chan, Kise-kun. Please understand that.” Kuroko brought the cup back down the table and turned to Kise. Whatever negative vibe he was carrying completely disappeared as if his whole being had ceased to exist. There was just nothing in the air, once again and as always.

Kuroko had worn his veil of indifference.

“You are worried about me keeping Chiasa a secret to Akashi-kun, but as I’ve told you many times before, he is her father and he has the right to know. At the same time, Chiasa deserves to know as well.” Kuroko continued, thumbs drawing circles on his cup. “Let me do this my way and with all due respect, please stop prying. I am thankful for the attention, but let me handle this myself. You want to know what I’m really feeling? Let me tell you that I’m okay with everything, and yes I may be feeling nervous on what Akashi-kun’s reaction might be, but I’ve set my mind— I’m not going to let anything change.

“If he chooses to be a father to Chiasa, I will let him. If not, then at least he knows. As for your concern with my relationship with Akashi-kun, there is no need to worry about anything because there’s absolutely nothing between us in the first place.

 Kuroko stood up and three pairs of eyes followed his movements as he tucked his seat back under the table. Kise looked at Midorima, waiting for the man to stop Kuroko but he said nothing.

“I need to go now. Chiasa-chan’s dismissed at four.”

“Bring this with you, Kuro-chin.” Murasakibara quickly walked over and handed him a paper bag. Inside was a box of white frosted cupcakes. “It’s for Asa-chin.”

“Thank you.” Kuroko smiled and waited for Murasakibara to return back to the counter before he went for the door.

“W-wait! Tetsu-kun,” Momoi sprung up from her seat, her legs pushing it back an inch. “At least, well, please consider going at the party. I mean, it’s just that— I’m not forcing you to say anything. You don’t have to if you want to. I just want to, it may sound selfish but it’s been a while and, I know this is probably hard but—”

 “Momoi-san.” She felt a hand patting her head gently. Kuroko was looking at him with understanding and through his blue eyes, she could see her reflection almost ready to cry.

Momoi understood then, that Kuroko need not hear whatever it was she meant to say. Maybe because it had always been her that was so keen on staying together, on maintaining strong ties even after they all had choses different paths to tread on. It was always here, if not Kise, who would present reunion ideas, keeping everyone updated with what was going on with who. Whatever happened to Kise, Mursasakibara was sure to know, whatever happened to Midorima, it would without a doubt reach Aomine. Akashi was an exception. She did not have any means of contact with him, but she kept herself updated with Midorima. Everyone knew it was Midorima who still communicated with Akashi after all, and it was a delight to her to know that Akashi, through Midorima, was still thinking about them despite being gone for so long.

“I will think about it, Momoi-san.” Kuroko pulled away and offered a smile, assuring her that he meant what he said. She nodded her head and smiled back, satisfied. Her legs wobbled and prompted her to sit back down. Kise was smiling back at her as well, and while Midorima’s face remained frowning, the sigh of relief did not escape past Momoi’s eyes.

Kuroko gave a wave at Murasakibara and was ready to push the door open when Midorima spoke, failing to keep his silence.

“Kuroko,” His addressee turned his head to look at him. “does Chiasa know?”

Kuroko’s gaze lingered for a second before he averted his eyes to look outside, hands pushing the door halfway open. He nodded, and gave a simple response that no one knew if it was true or not.

“Of course, Midorima-kun.” He said, and quickly enough he was out the door and was walking away, reflecting on the lie he had just said.

* * *

Chiasa felt another crumpled paper hit her head, making her lose her concentration on the novel she was reading. For ten minutes now she was successful at completely ignoring her attacker and Chiasa would have ignored him for longer if she were not reading the good part of the book.

“Stop it.” Chiasa looked away from her book and turned to face the boy standing by door along with some other of their classmates. Amusedly, he pointed at her and giggled, turning to the other children behind him.

“See!? She’s not angry at all!” He exclaimed, and the rest made awed sounds at how blank Chiasa’s face was. She was frowning, but it seemed not to be obvious enough for them to notice.

“No. I am actually angry right now, Kurose-kun.” She crossed her arms, hoping that it would add an effect that was enough for her classmates to tell that she indeed was feeling annoyed not only for being disturbed from reading but as well as for not recognizing her feelings.

“You don’t look angry to me!” He shouted.

“Doesn’t mean that I’m not.” She sighed and turned her eyes back at the book she held. “Leave me alone, Kurose-kun.”

“See? I can’t even smell anything.” The child Kurose retracted himself from the group and approached her table, sniffing the air around Chiasa much to her discomfort.

“Stop doing that.”

“But I can’t smell—”

“It still doesn’t mean I’m not mad.” She pointed out, eyes rereading the last sentence from failing to understand it that first time. Thanks to Kurose. “Or your alpha instincts are not sharp enough.”

“I _am_ sharp enough!” Kurose positioned himself in front of her desk and leaned forward, his nose almost touching Chiasa’s forehead as he sniffed once again. Chiasa ignored him, prioritizing the book she read as she turned the next page. Kurose backed away eventually and smiled, palms slamming on her table. “See? It’s not like it’s there but it’s there! You smell like… like, uh, like vanilla ice cream! And something else!”

Chiasa was quiet and proceeded to turn another page, pretending not to hear anything Kurose said, which made the boy grunt in frustration.

“You’re so mean!” He pulled the vacant seat behind him and slumped down, letting his bag fall down the floor. “And to think you’re an omega. You’re not supposed to be like that. What are you reading anyway?”

At this, Chiasa perked up and eagerly presented the book to Kurose whose eyebrows only knit together in confusion.

“What is that!?”

“It’s Shakespeare.” Chiasa pushed the book further in his face but he pushed it away.

“Shake-what? It’s not Japanese!”

“It’s English.” She answered and rolled her eyes.

“But that’s like… hard.” Kurose’s eyes squinted, attempting to recognize at least one character but failing. He pushed the book away completely until Chiasa let it rest down her desk.

“It’s Shakespeare for kids.” Her finger pointed at the cover page where the title was printed in big, colorful letters. “See? It says, ‘Shakespeare for Kids!’ right here.”

Kurose’s eyes ran over every colored letter but still understood none. He huffed, annoyed at the fact that Chiasa knew something he did not.

“Where did you get the stupid book anyway?”

“It’s not stupid, and don’t say ‘stupid’ because it is bad.”

“I say what I want!” He tapped on his chest proudly and raised his chin, daring Chiasa to say otherwise. Knowing it was pointless to argue, she simply rolled her eyes and opened the book again, flipping to her bookmarked page.

“Mama gave this to me.” She muttered and attempted to start reading the good part despite knowing well enough what was going to happen next after having read it so many times since Kuroko gave it to her as a random gift.

“Your mama?” Kurose’s sudden interest caused a spark in the air, making Chiasa meet his eyes. “Oh yeah! I almost forgot! My daddy wants to ask something.”

Chiasa raised a brow and urged him to continue.

“He wants to know if you have a papa, because we’ve never seen him before.” Kurose looked up, trying to remember what else his father had said. He tapped his finger against his chin. “I think he said something like, can’t smell anything… or was that anyone? I think it’s can’t smell anyone on your mama?”

Chiasa shut her book close and calmly picker her bag up from the side of her chair before opening it up and clearing some of her things to make room for book. She paused when a shadow loomed over her and looked up to see Kurose hovering over him as he stood up from his chair and placed his hands on the desk.

“Chi-chan!” He tilted his head and blinked. “Don’t you have a papa?”

She stared for a moment before continuing to arrange her things.

“I have a papa. If I don’t have a papa then I wouldn’t be here, Kurose-kun.” Chiasa closed her bag and stood up, face as emotionless as always despite growing uncomfortable as Kurose continued to question her.

“But I don’t see him, or her.” He leapt down and trailed beside her as she exited the room, deciding to wait for Kuroko by the playground where the rest of the students were, all waiting for the parents to arrive.

“Mama said he is working far away.”

“Oooh.” Kurose nodded but unfortunately for Chiasa, he still was not done with his inquiries. Most were just out of his childish curiosity. “What’s his name?”

Chiasa shrugged.

“You don’t know?” 

“I call him papa.”

“What does he look like." 

“I know he has red hair.“

“You don’t know what his face looks like?" 

“No.” 

“Why?”

Chiasa stopped and pondered over the question while Kurose looked at her expectantly. At that moment, she allowed herself to entertain the questions she did not pay much attention to before because of the many distractions that somehow would get to her before she could even let her curiosity surface. Her mama was one of them and he probably was on the top of the list unintentionally but for a good reason. Chiasa never had to ask for someone…extra, because she never felt the need to, because her mama had been more than enough.

Still, on times such as these, she could not help but think about it and even if she did not want to, there was a bit of pain in her heart. She could not understand why and six years of being alive was not yet enough for her to go as far as to arrive at possible answers. But if she were compelled to give one, she would probably say that it hurt not to know something she should know.

“Chiasa-chan?” Both her and Kurose perked up to hear Kuroko’s voice and it did not take long before they saw him emerge from another hallway that led outside. Letting all the maturity she showed in front of Kurose slip away, her tiny legs bolted towards Kuroko and her body was welcomed by open arms. She breathed in, taking in the scent of Kuroko that never failed to calm her down, clearing her thoughts and regaining her composure once more.

“Good afternoon, mama.” She gave him a peck on the cheek and smiled. Her eyes immediately darted to the box Kuroko carried in one hand. “What’s that?”

“Cupcakes.” He answered and held them up to her face level. “It’s from Murasakibara-kun. He told me to give them to you.”

“Really!?” Chiasa’s eyes widened in glee as she accepted the box and took a peek inside. The smell of sugar hit her and had her biting her lip, wanting to eat one already. The anticipation grew and Kuroko laughed. “This is quite messy to eat so let’s eat this at home. Okay?”

“Okay!”

“Kuroko-san!” Hearing another voice, Kuroko looked past his daughter’s shoulders and saw Kurose running towards them.

“Good afternoon, Kurose-kun. Is your father not here yet?” The boy shook his head and giggled when Kuroko attempted to fix his unruly hair.

“He said he’s going to be a little late today.”

“I see.”

“Are you leaving now, Kuroko-san?” He asked and looked up at Kuroko as he stood up, hand gently holding Chiasa’s while the other held the cute, purple paper bag that came along with Murasakibara’s cupcakes.

“Yes. I’m sorry if we can’t keep you company this time.”

“It’s okay! I just wanna ask you something!”

Kuroko would have said yes if Chiasa had not beat him to talking, which he found a bit odd due to the look on her face. The sudden shift in her energy was also so clear. Chiasa was on a defensive stance.

“We still need to do something, Kurose-kun! If you have questions, ask me tomorrow.”

“But I need Kuroko-san to—”

“Bye-bye, Kurose-kun.” She was pulling Kuroko away from Kurose who was obviously so confused, maybe even more confused than Kuroko himself at Chiasa’s behavior. If he were to be asked, he would prefer to stay and ask what it was all about, but Chiasa was adamant on leaving, and she rarely initiated such things.

There was something that was irking her, and Kuroko waited until she felt her at ease before inquiring. The walk home had always been considered as a quality time by both of them, because even if they lived together, Kuroko would immerse himself with papers and Chiasa would try her best to finish her assignments on her own. It was mostly when they were on their feet, walking past sceneries they had memorized so vividly after so long that they were able to open up to each other in a very natural way. It was as if they were simply going along a calm, river current, or swaying with the bending branches of trees when the wind blew.

“What’s wrong, Chiasa-chan?” Kuroko asked as they crossed over a bridge, staying close to the side to give way to bicycles and joggers. His daughter glanced up at him briefly, concealing her surprise at the question but Kuroko felt her fingers grasp tighten around his hand. It was bothering him, but he stayed patient.

“Nothing,” she answered stubbornly and looked straight ahead. If Kuroko had not known her daughter well, and maybe if her traits were not so similar with his, he would not have noticed the mask she struggled to keep on her face. He sighed and went back to the events from a while ago.

“Is it about Kurose-kun?” When her shoulders tensed and there was an obvious shift in the aura that surrounded her. Kuroko was right. “Did he do something you didn’t like?”

Chiasa shook her head.

“Did he…” he trailed off, once more briefing himself with the little observations he kept to mind before he and Chiasa went off their merry way. A few steps and they were past the bridge when it clicked to Kuroko. “Was it about earlier? The question?”

It took a while for her to answer before an almost inaudible ‘yes’ came from her lips.

“Okay.” Kuroko started gently. He swayed their hands back and forth, letting them rise a bit higher as he added a bit of skip in his steps to put Chiasa at ease. “Do you know what he wants to ask?” Chiasa nodded and Kuroko slowed down his pace to look down at Chiasa. “Will you tell mama?”

This time, she did not respond at all. Not a nod or a shake of her head, and her hand was completely lax in his Kuroko’s hold. Her eyes stared far in front of her. She appeared to have closed in on herself, but Kuroko sensed that she did want to tell him something. She probably just did not know how.

Stopping in his tracks, he kneeled down and met Chiasa’s eyes, seeing his reflection in them. Staring at her so closely, Kuroko was reminded how much they looked so similar that it was unbelievable at times. But such similarity was beneficial to him because it was easier to read her and to understand the things she would not or could not tell.

Sometimes he cursed at how Chiasa the same way as him, sometimes he was thankful for it. As of the moment, it was a little bit of both.

“What’s it about, Chiasa-chan?” Kuroko tucked a strand behind her ear. “Was it something bad?” She shook her head. “Was it something you don’t like talking about?” He tried again but this time, Chiasa looked at him with uncertainty, her feet squirming against the ground. Kuroko was getting close.

“It’s not like that.” Her eyes glanced to the side and Kuroko waited patiently for her to continue. “I don’t hate it.”

“Hm?”

“I mean, it’s, he was asking about, if…” Chiasa scratched her forehead. “Kurose-kun said his daddy was asking if I have a papa.”

Kuroko stilled but only for a moment. He quickly caught himself, fast enough for Chiasa not to notice. She had taken his excellent observations skills. Kuroko freed his mind from every worry and rid himself of his personal emotional in take on the matter.

“And what did you say?”

“I said yes.” Chiasa rolled her eyes. “I said I am not here if I don’t have a papa. Kurose-kun should know that already. I think Kurose-kun’s daddy wants to be my papa.”

Kuroko was taken aback. For Chiasa to arrive quickly at such a conclusion, and what was more surprising was that it was most probably right. He was not blind. He was not insensitive. Kuroko had been aware of the subtle hints that Kurose’s father had been giving him, hints that he ignored and never acknowledged. The touches, he tried to avoid with the best he could.

“I don’t like Kurose-kun’s daddy to be my papa.”

“Why not?”

“Because I already have one.” Kuroko felt his lips quiver so he pursed them.

“Even if,” He took a deep breath and mustered a smile. “even if you don’t see him?”

 She nodded her head shyly, and at that point Kuroko should have stopped with his questions but his heart had taken control of his mouth. He could feel it thumping against his chest as if telling him he was on the right track.

“Why?” He asked, and Chiasa looked down at her shoes.

“Because, he is still my papa.” Kuroko swallowed the lump in his throat, his thumb caressing his daughter’s cheeks. “And mama said he is a good person.”

“But Kurose-kun’s daddy is also—”

“But mama does not love him.” The implication of Kuroko being in love with Chiasa’s real father was left unsaid, but it was there, and Kuroko was not going to deny it.

Chiasa caught and held his gaze steadily, forcing him to shun away any other arguments he had. It never ceased to amaze him how Chiasa can be so demanding on having the final say at an argument, no matter how insignificant. Kuroko took another breath in and willed the familiar sting in his eyes away. She may have taken his features and some of his quirks, but when she acted so defiant, Chiasa painfully reminded him of… _him._

He felt his energy slowly seeping out. An invisible countdown was floating around them, ticking down to when he would drop the question he would be asking her for the first time despite everything else that he had asked her occasionally. Kuroko bit his inner cheek. It was going to be harder than he thought it would be.

“Chiasa-chan,” he began. His hands crawled down from Chiasa’s cheeks down to each of her arms and Kuroko held them firmly, using it to anchor himself. He kept his tone light. “Do you like to have a papa?”

She hesitated, but nodded her head in the end. Kuroko smiled and rubber her arms.

“Do you want to see your papa?”

 Her eyes widened and it was all Kuroko had to see to tell that she was, without a doubt going to say,

“Yes!”

Kuroko smiled and hugged Chiasa. He felt her mood turned a complete opposite. The solemnness that loomed over his child was replaced by excitement, and he never thought she would be reacting that way. He expected hesitation, a little bit more of getting used to the idea of having a father figure suddenly entering her life. But it must have been the longing, a longing that Kuroko was ashamed to be too blind to see, too naïve to think it was not there. At least now he was aware, and he knew. Chiasa, at the very least, needed to see who her papa was. The child asked for nothing else.

He buried his face on Chiasa’s shoulder and closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just finished watching the movie Wolf Children and it inspired me to write this chapter lolol. ;__; Since I made this on a whim, there's sure to be a lot of mistakes I guess? Feel free to point them out and I'll edit them asap. :D Thanks for reading!
> 
> (For those who haven't watched the movie it's about this mother who raised her two half human half wolf children alone and it was sooo touching. Tada!)


	4. Chapter 4

His feet felt heavy as he dragged them across the floorboards of their home, but it did not stop Kuroko from his tiresome pacing around the house, gathering everything he could that might come as important for Chiasa while she was not in his presence. Her bag rested beside her on the couch, and from time to time Kuroko would put things inside, things that Chiasa would sometimes secretly remove, deeming it unimportant. Like her yellow floral pair of pajamas. Kuroko dropped them in, neatly folded, atop another pair of sleepwear Kuroko placed inside just five minutes ago. _It was just one night_. She did not need two.

“Chiasa-chan, I saw that.” Kuroko folded his arms and Chiasa mirrored him perfectly.

“I only need one, mama.” She argued. “It’s not like I can wear them both at the same time.”

“It’s not for you to wear at the same time.” He walked over to where Chiasa tossed the second pair of jammies and folded them neatly again before putting it back her bag pack. “It’s an extra. You don’t know what can happen.”

“But—”

“Chiasa.” Kuroko gave her a stern look, one that she attempted to rival but in the end, she conceded with a nod of her head.

Kuroko continued his last minute checks for Chiasa’s things soon after, his hands getting hold of three dresses and three pairs of frilly socks, which Chiasa eyed with disagreement. Her light blue eyes followed Kuroko everywhere, watching closely the different expressions that would grace his face whenever he would spot something. Would Chiasa need it? Did she already have enough extras? Where did he place the box of cutely designed Band-Aids?

He was in the middle of retrieving the kiddie shampoo from their bathroom (and Chiasa was in the middle of taking stuff out from her bag while Kuroko was not looking) when his phone rang, making him sigh. Kuroko was hoping he would be left at peace at least until he finished packing Chiasa’s things.

“Mama!” Chiasa called from outside when he was taking longer than necessary from coming out of the bathroom.

“Coming.” He responded and walked out the bathroom with a bottle of shampoo and liquid soap in hand, a yellow towel hanging over his arm. He spotted Chiasa kneeling on the chair and staring at his phone on the table, and when he came over he found Kise’s smiling face at his screen.

Kuroko felt relieved to know that at least, the person calling was not Midorima. He had had enough pestering from the bespectacled man in the past days.

“Chiasa-chan, will you please get the hairbrush from our room?” He kindly requested with a smile, and Chiasa obliged, hopping off the chair quickly to do what she was told. Kuroko’s thumb swiped over the screen of his phone to answer the call.

“Kise-kun.”

“ _Kurokocchi! I thought you wouldn’t answer!_ ”

Kuroko turned and rested his back against the table, his other free hand anchored against its edge. Truthfully, he would not have answered the call if Kise had not behaved just as annoying as Midorima had been. At least Kise knew when to lay off, and it must have helped that he understood him more than an alpha like Midorima.

“ _Daicchi is beside me! You’re on speaker!_ ”

“ _Yo, Tetsu._ ”

“Hello Aomine-kun.”

Chiasa’s hurried footsteps came and she was latching on Kuroko’s legs before he could even turn to see her come out from the room. Smiling, he gently led her towards the chair where she previously was. Kuroko secured the phone in between his shoulder and cheek, making sure it would not fall off despite his movements.

“ _Ryouta wants to ask you something._ ”

“ _Daicchi!_ ” Kise scolded, and Kuroko could hear what sounded like him hitting Aomine’s arm, to which the latter simply laughed at. Kuroko could only roll his eyes as he started to braid Chiasa’s hair, fingers expertly lacing the strands together.

“So what is it, Kise-kun?”

“ _Well, it’s about tonight._ ” There was a pause, and it was Kise probably waiting for Kuroko to cut him off like he usually would do. But Kuroko only hummed in response, and Kise took it as a permission to continue. “ _Are you going, Kurokocchi?_ ”

Kuroko’s hands stopped despite already expecting the question. What other reasons did Kise have to call him on that very day? His eyes drowned away on the redness of Chiasa’s hair, and it all dawned down Kuroko again.

“Yes.” He answered after a deep intake of breath. He fought the trembling in his fingers and fought to keep the braid from messing up. Kise gasped from the other end, and Kuroko could only imagine him jumping on to Aomine who would easily catch him.

“ _Really?_ ”

“Yes, Kise-kun.” He was going to do it for her. “I have decided.” He cannot afford to be selfish.

“ _I see. What about Asacchi?_ ”

“She’ll be over Kagami-kun’s house for tonight.”

“ _Are you sure that’s a good idea, Tetsu? That Kagami’s an idiot._ ”

 _“Daicchi! Don’t be so rude._ ”

Kuroko shook his head as Aomine and Kise began bickering over the phone. He could hear them clearly, and as much as he knew that Aomine did not mean anything spiteful he said towards Kagami, he did not bother stopping Kise from trying to defend the man that acted as both he and Chiasa’s baby sitter.

“Done.” He breathed after tying the band at the end of Chiasa’s braid, which he placed over her shoulder so she could touch it. Her eyes shone with the same amused glee she would have every time Kuroko would fix her hair. This time, it was a single French braid that fell from the top of her head, and Kuroko had pulled on the strands slightly as to not give it an uptight look. The end was secured with one of the glittery hair bands Momoi gave her.

“Thanks, mama!” She stood up on her chair, making her eyes at level with Kuroko’s before placing a kiss on his cheek.

“Anytime.” He smiled and pinched the bridge of her nose, making her giggle. “Go fix your toys now. We’ll be leaving in a few.”

Kuroko watched her hop off and gather the pink and white chess pieces scattered under the table in their living room, along with the plastic cooking set. For a while he allowed himself to relax, enjoying seeing Chiasa run in their room carrying as much toys as she could fit in her tiny hands, and then out to collect more. He almost dropped his hand down to his side, removing the phone from his ear after forgetting he was talking to someone, but Kise’s sudden loud voice boomed and forced him back to focus on the call.

“ _I’ve got the details of the party. Midorimacchi sent them to me! It’s nothing formal, just a smart, decent, casual wear will do. Aaand, we’ll be joining the main party first for a while, before coming up the penthouse. Just us! Can you imagine it, Daicchi!?_ ”

“ _What are you getting too excited for? You’ve been to better places with your career._ ”

“ _That’s different! And this is different! Oh! Kurokocchi! Are you still there!?_ ”

“Yes.”

“ _Thank god! I thought you hung up!_ ” Kise sighed, relieved. “ _Sorry. We got a bit distracted._ ”

“It’s okay, Kise-kun.”

“ _Are you at home, Tetsu?_ ”

“Yeah. Why?”

“ _Do you wanna come with us? Satsuki’s riding with us since she doesn’t have a car._ ”

“ _And if you want, we can go there early and then we can drop Asacchi over at Kagamicchi with you!_ ”

Kuroko pondered over the idea for a moment quietly to himself.

“ _Come on, Tetsu! It’s gonna save you some time too._ ”

He weighed his options, and thinking that he would be arriving sooner at the party with Aomine’s car was not exactly appealing to him. It may not seem so, but he was trying to delay things, buying time as much as he could but in reality he was not in the very least successful, because the clock continued ticking anyway.

Besides, it was better to come with three other people rather than going there alone.

“Okay.” He answered simply, eyes still glued at Chiasa’s small form now sitting idly on the couch, another English book in her hands.

" _Alright! Be there in thirty, Tetsu!”_

_“See you later, Kurokocchi!”_

“See you.” A single click signaled the end of the call, leaving Kuroko alone again to gather as much strength as he could, if he could. A shaky breath escaped him as he turned around and rested his palms on the table, eyes boring on the wood. He supposed it was not going to be that hard, and that he was simply over thinking. It did not matter how Akashi would react, and it was not that Kuroko thought badly of him. But people change. He himself changed, and so did everyone in the own subtle ways. What made Akashi an exception?

He cleared his throat and turned around, facing Chiasa with a smile.

“Are you done, Chiasa-chan? Kise-kun and Aomine-kun are coming in a while.”

\------

Akashi was anxious, but he hid his discomfort well behind a miasma of disappointment and frustration that easily scared most, if not all, of the people he came across with in the whole party. It had long started, and he was done with the usual, opening speech that welcomed himself back to Japan. He was done with the applauses, the congratulatory remarks, sent to him by fellow successful alphas, many of which he knew was fake and full of envy behind. He refused to receive any more of the subtle, aroused and interested scents that the omegas in the party tried to lure him with. None of them were appealing. None of them were enough to make him want to stay at his own party, for the simple reason that none of them was Kuroko Tetsuya.

But Akashi still stayed, standing alone against a cream pillar with a glass of champagne cradled in his fingers, and he dwelled on the possibility— a confirmed possibility according to Midorima’s retrieved information from Kise— that Kuroko was going to make an appearance anytime. Even his instincts were telling him the same; he was going to be spared from an evening of disappointment.

He knew Kuroko well, he knew how straightforward he was, how brave he was, how something as fleeting as a single night being together in bed was not going to be an excuse not to see him.

He was even pretty sure that Kuroko was not mad. At all.

A single mistake was not going to stop him.

It was already eight in the evening, and he had asked Midorima and the others to meet him first at the main party in the hotel’s largest ballroom. Murasakibara was, unsurprisingly so, the first one to arrive seeing that a party meant drinks and snacks, but not much of a greeting was exchanged between them. Aside from a small smile and some talk, Akashi let him go and eat as much food as he can. Catching up can come much later. His questions about Kuroko were left to rest and spare Murasakibara, because for all Akashi knew, no one else aside from Midorima was aware about his predicament.

The clock continued to tick and Midorima was next to arrive, but unlike Murasakibara, he stayed and stood beside Akashi. This time, Akashi did not hesitate to open up the topic he was itching at.

“Are you sure Tetsuya’s—”

“It’s good to see you too, Akashi.” Midorima took a glass of white wine handed to him by one of the roaming waitresses that Akashi beckoned. She was reluctant, but she could not pretend she did not see him gesture towards her. “Kise just texted me three minutes ago. Kuroko’s with them.”

“Is that so.”

Midorima glanced at Akashi from the corner of his eyes. They were both silent for a moment, sipping on their own glasses. Even for just a little bit, the scary aura that emanated from Akashi piped down, and the stiffness that was the effect on everyone present lifted up. People began to move with more comfortableness. After a minute or so, guests once again began giving them a nod of acknowledgement and the bravest ones would come over for a brief introduction and a handshake. Servers came by to offer them tarts and biscuits.

“What are you going to do when you see Kuroko?”

The answer was quick and honest.

“I do not know.”

“Are you going to talk to him?”

“I will.” Akashi took a sip from his glass and let the taste of his drink linger for a moment longer on his tongue. “I want to.”

“What are you going to say?”

“Again, Shintaro, I do not know.”

His mind was blank, and he could not imagine himself talking to Kuroko again. He did not even have the slightest idea how to approach the tealhead. What would he say?

There were so many questions swirling in his head and it was bothering him all at once. But his resolve to patch things up with Kuroko was stronger than anything else, and he was going to make sure that the night was not going to end without him getting at least a ‘hello’ out from Kuroko’s mouth.

Akashi never doubted himself before, and he was sure as hell he was not going to doubt his abilities now.

“I have a question.” Midorima’s voice pulled him away from his thoughts before he could even drift back to the memories that brought him to where he was now.

“Yes?”

“Do you like children?”

Akashi could say he was surprised and was caught a bit off guard with the question.

“Why do you ask?”

Midorima shrugged his shoulders. “Just curious.”

Akashi, after having recovered, smirked. His hand tipped the glass to and fro playfully and the liquid swirled, producing a star like sparkle from within.

“Are you and Takao thinking of having kids?”

Midorima, once again, shrugged his shoulders.

“Maybe.” He answered, and it was not a lie, which made it easy for him to drop the question in the first place. It was hard to spout lies in the presence of Akashi, even if it was as simple as the classic ‘I’m busy.’

“I’m not good at dealing with kids, or rather, I’ve never dealt with kids before.” Akashi frowned. The topic that Midorima opened was successfully distracting him from his initial worries for that night. “I cannot picture myself taking care of one. I never pictured myself as a father.”

A bit of relief drizzled on Midorima’s heart. It was not a ‘no.’ The answer that Akashi gave him was not one that denied the possibility of having a child of his own. It was under his considerations, if given the right time, and Midorima could not help but glance at his wristwatch.

It was only seven. The night was still young.

\-------

“Thank you very much, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko bowed, or at least tried to because Kagami stopped him before he could move.

“I told you to stop doing that.” Kagami grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve been friends for too long.”

“Still.”

“Just stop it, okay?”

Kuroko smiled but his eyes lacked the seriousness Kagami was hoping for when he answered, “I’ll try.”

He received the usual eye rolling and more grumbling in response to his words, things Kagami always did that Kuroko found endearing throughout the years. They were proof that behind the man’s rough exterior, there was no mistaking he was the kind of man Kuroko could trust and feel at ease for Chiasa to be with.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun.” The repeat of gratitude made Kagami eye him with another kind of worry that was more sensitive to his emotions. Kuroko found himself calming down with the thought of having someone to run back to, no matter what might happen that night.

“This party you’re going to, what’s it about again?”

Unlike the rest, Kagami was close but still stood outside the circle of his middle school life. It was reassuring that there was someone out there who Kuroko could reach out to during the times he needed to be pulled away.

“It’s an invite from Kise-kun’s modeling agency. He was allowed to bring as much plus ones as he could.” Kuroko answered smoothly at the same time he felt his phone vibrate in his jeans pocket. There was a speckle of doubt in Kagami’s face, made obvious by his uniquely shaped eyebrows. Kuroko tried not to laugh at them most of the time. “I should go now. Aomine-kun must be growing impatient.”

Kagami looked dissatisfied with his answer and Kuroko knew there was an urge to inquire for more details. He pretended not to notice Kagami’s fingers curling, rubbing against each other, when he peered from his side to call Chiasa who already made herself comfortable in front of Kagami’s mini bookshelf.

“Chiasa-chan, mama’s leaving.”

The girl immediately leapt from the couch and ran towards him, arms open and ready for a goodnight’s embrace.

“Don’t cause too much trouble, okay?” Kuroko reminded and kissed her forehead. “And don’t tease Kagami-kun about his eyebrows too much.”

Kagami made a noise of protest, but it only caused Chiasa to look up at him, blinking innocently but the smile on her face and the singsong hum of confirmation was an unspoken certainty of not planning to keep Kuroko’s words.

“Goodnight, Chiasa-chan.”

“Goodnight, mama! Take care.” She gave Kuroko a kiss on each of his cheeks before allowing him to stand up and bow his head to express his thanks for letting his daughter stay the night. He did not let Kagami stop him this time, leading to more neck rubs and mumbling complaints.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun. Goodnight.”

“That’s the third time you’ve thanked me, idiot.” Kagami huffed, his hand patting Chiasa’s head, causing him to mess the top of her braid much to her dislike. His hand was swatted away. “Enjoy your night, Kuroko.”

Kuroko grinned and nodded his head, despite not being sure if there were even any chance he would be able to find himself a minute of genuine elatedness in the duration of the night.

The journey back outside the streets where Aomine’s car waited was already plunged with nervous thoughts and worst-case scenarios he tried to counter with an escape plan should it be needed. But the problem was that Kuroko had no idea what to expect, at all. Because he major concern did not only dance around how he was going to tell Akashi about the child. If he was going to be honest, the problem was rooted in his mistrust of his self. There was going to be a process. It was not like he could just spring out of nowhere in front of Akashi and blurt out the secret he had kept all those years from him as if it was a cute, not at all complicated, birthday surprise! It was not that simple.

He spotted Aomine leaning at the back of his car, arms crossed and one foot tapping with impatience against the ground. The alpha was lost in his thoughts, but was alerted of his presence at once when he reappeared from inside the establishment. From the way Aomine’s head sharply turned to him, eyes going a little bit wide after a deep breath in, Kuroko realized he had carelessly lost grip of his emotions for a moment, and Aomine certainly was able to catch a whiff.

“Is it so bad,” Aomine straightened up, “to let us know how you really fucking feel at least once in a fucking while?”

Kuroko’s lips drew a thin line on his face as he continued to walk until he was standing in front of his agitated friend. He looked up at him, not afraid to meet him in the eye.

“Thanks for the concern, Aomine-kun, but please do not lose your temper in here.” Aomine was about to retort, but Kuroko reached up, index and thumb pulling the man down by the nose until he was bent enough to meet Kuroko eye to eye. “I am not the strongest person in the world, and I don’t try to be, but I do manage to get by. Besides, I do have _you,_ and everyone to back me up, don’t I?”

Aomine did not know if it was rhetorical or not, but he nodded anyway and slapped Kuroko’s hand off his face.

“Then what is there to worry about?” There was a gentle, reassuring smile on Kuroko’s face, and something more that shut Aomine up. There was _trust_ , and not only could Aomine see it reflected in Kuroko’s eyes; he was also feeling it. One thing he was not sure about was whether the omega was spilling out his calming scent on purpose just to soothe Aomine, prevent him from sizing Kuroko up as he always unintentionally would do whenever he was in an argument with him, or if Kuroko really just had this effect on everyone else without even bothering to try. But if he was certain of something, Aomine was sure Kuroko was not faking it— his words, his touches, the look in his eyes were genuine to the core.

Aomine felt a tug on his shirt.

“Let’s go. If we dally for longer, Kise-kun and Momoi-san might get bored.” Kuroko turned his back and went for the back door. “It’s hard to get them in after they’re out the car.”

That was true, and Aomine was quick on his steps. But before the both of them could open their respective door, he called for Kuroko’s attention and said, “You can count on us. We’re not going anywhere.” To which Kuroko flashed another smile, tinier than before but the sincerity was all the same.

“That’s what I said. Thank you, Aomine-kun.”

When they opened the car doors, Momoi had already fallen asleep and the first thing that greeted them was Kise’s whining.

“Finally! What in the world took you so long?” 

\-----

Akashi already had too many drinks, but nearly not enough to making him at least a bit dizzy. He had been to too many parties in the course of his life, and the only effect that alcohol had on him so far was to cut the rope of his patience shorter that its acceptable length, which resulted to him snapping at people and all that was needed for him to do so was a word.

“Akashi-san—”

“Not in the mood.” He took another drink from his glass, finishing it entirely. His eyes darted from corner to corner, jumping from uninteresting person to another equally, if not more uninteresting person. The repelling aura he had before Midorima arrived was back, covering him like a cloak.

“You’re not being a good host.” Midorima’s voice came to his left, and Akashi for a second almost forgot that he still had with him the most tolerable companion in the whole place.

“I am not obliged to. If anything, they should feel privileged they even made it on the guest list.” When Akashi spotted a waiter rounding up drinks, he called for the man’s attention, motioning for him to move as quickly as he can. There was no time to hesitate and think whether Akashi was going to fire him or not on the spot.

“You’re scaring him.” Midorima pointed out, not that Akashi needed to know.

“But he needs to do his job.” He replied with the same tone he used to dismiss everyone dumb enough to approach him away. When the waiter stood beside him, he put his empty glass on the tray and grabbed another two full glasses, offering one to Midorima.

“I haven’t finished my drink yet.”

Akashi merely shrugged, and then shot the waiter a menacing glare when the man made no effort to move away, staring at him dumbly as if he was expecting something more. He kept the two full glasses of Champagne in his hold and had no intention of returning both while they were still full.

“I didn’t expect, honestly, to attend such a casual gathering.” Midorima confessed. The whole place was lively with laughter, pride and self-centered stories, light drinks, and pop music, which he was sure Akashi was not responsible of. It was not like a typical teenage American party with red cups and beer pong, something he was thankful for. The simplicity and lightness of the atmosphere (except the one around Akashi) did not give an impression of it being a possible setting for business transactions, making it hard to believe that it was Akashi’s father who organized the whole thing. But if anyone tried to really listen to the guests’ conversations, the whole impression of it just being a friendly welcome party was easy to flush down the drain. “It’s quite different from most business parties.”

Akashi however, did not seem to take his words as a simple passing remark as he looked at him with raised brows.

“You wanted to go see a ball? Corsets and top hats? Horses leading a pumpkin turned carriage? A mysterious masquerade? Oh please.” He was slightly irked by Akashi’s response, but Midorima knew better than to join in the wave of his friend’s already thinning patience and boiling temperature on how frustratingly slow time suddenly became.

Midorima glanced at his watch again. He arrived at the party and began talking with Akashi about an hour ago. Their conversation predictably started with Kuroko, and most likely was going to end with another inquiry about said omega, but Midorima would rather really answer more of Akashi’s questions regarding the bluenette rather than go through his endless rants and complaints of how the god of time sucked right at that particular moment.

“Do you have a lighter?” Taking his eyes off everything in front of them, Midorima saw Akashi feeling his pants’ front and back pockets while an unlit cigarette was already in between Akashi’s lips. This caught him by surprise.

“You smoke?”

“I asked you a question first, Shintaro.”

Midorima huffed and looked away, shaking his head. “I don’t.”

Akashi clicked his tongue and returned the cigarette back in the box he kept at his left back pocket. Midorima eyed his movements, half amused half indifferent. He could not decide how he should feel at the discovery, but amidst his internal debate he was clear that there was understanding. Akashi had a stressful life, far more than his, and based on the way Akashi was shifting from foot to foot, he could tell that smoking was something that calmed his nerves even if it was only for a temporary amount of time.

Suddenly, as someone who danced in the field of medicine, he was worried. He was about to give his own, mini lecture about the bad effects of smoking when his phone vibrated. Akashi was openly staring at him as he fished it out and read the message he had just received from Kise, silently. He was aware that Akashi was dying to know what the message said, having correctly assumed who it was from already.

‘ _are u still with akashicchi?????’_

Midorima quickly typed a response.

‘Yes.’

He waited for a few seconds for Kise’s response, but when none came, he returned his phone back to his front pocket. Akashi was no longer looking at him but at the direction of the gigantic doors, waiting for it to open and reveal the person that was to be the highlight of his night.

“It was Kise.” Midorima knew that particular information was not needed, but he mentioned it anyway. “He’s just asking if you’re still with me.”

Akashi ignored him, red and yellow eyes focused solely on the door that continued to remain shut.

“They’re probably near.” This time after he spoke, Akashi blinked and exhaled, and without turning to Midorima he responded.

“He’s here.” Akashi finished one glass, leaving him with another full one on his other hand. Midorima eyed him curiously. Akashi’s mind travelled past the doors he was staring at, and he stood completely still like an animal trying to sense the tiniest movement, the softest sound, the slightest shift in the air that would reveal the presence of another being in the midst of its company.

“Kise did not really clarify if they’re—” Midorima started, not wanting to get Akashi’s hopes up. It might be another fifteen minutes before Kuroko and the rest would make an appearance, but Akashi cut him off before he could even finish his sentence.

“He’s here.” Akashi repeated, firmer this time, and his whole body was tensed, or hyped. Midorima did not have a clue. The redhead sounded so certain, not a hint of doubt, like he was stating facts that were long proven by science.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” At least Akashi was still responding to him.

“How do you know?”

“I just do.”

Instincts, perhaps? Akashi always had the best intuition among everyone Midorima personally knew. And maybe, he did kind of understand what was going in.

It must be the same as him knowing whether Takao was at home or not the very second he pushed the door open, and if he was, Midorima could pinpoint where exactly Takao was and what he could possibly be doing. If his partner was sleeping in their bedroom or on their couch, if Takao was crying from watching romantic dramas, if there was something that upset him from work.

It was probably similar with how Kise always failed to pull surprise attacks on Aomine, because Aomine always knew where Kise was hiding, or if Kise was hiding something like a gift or a bruise he got from photo shoots after he accidentally hit the lights. How, despite Kise’s habit of losing himself at public places, Aomine always knew where to find him without having to do any calls or ask for police back up.

But then again it could not be that, Midorima thought, because the difference between Akashi and them was that they were mated, _bonded,_ and Akashi had nothing of that sort _._ Emotional attachment maybe, yes, and Midorima would even dare think that there was this physical longing, like a hangover. Because what Akashi and Kuroko had— a night lost in the impulsive expression of cooped up feelings triggered by the temptation of an omega’s heat— was something that ended just as soon as a bursting of an inflated bubble gum.

To put it in simple words, no matter how long they had had feelings for each other, a simple one-night stand was not enough to sustain whatever potential bond there was. Besides, Kuroko had said so himself, the ties were quickly severed in time when the sun was high enough to cast shadows. He heard the same words from Akashi. Nothing was ever meant to last.

Midorima continued to watch Akashi, observe his every movement. The other’s breaths came in deep puffs. Everything about Akashi screamed anticipation and impatience. He wanted to doubt his friend’s instincts, convincing himself that it was only the alcohol-induced excitement that was acting. Yet, at the drop of the next second, just like how it had always been, Akashi was right and he was wrong. 

The doors opened, and Kise emerged from the gap. Behind him was Kuroko who seemed uneasy and fidgety, but nonetheless carrying the same look Akashi had on his face. It only took a few steps from the door when Kuroko turned his head on a smooth manner as if he knew exactly where to look, and Midorima knew then that Kuroko _indeed_ knew exactly where his eyes should be when a sporadic scent flickered in the air and Akashi breathed, for the third time, the words,

“He’s here.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's Christmas Eve here and I just want to wish everyone a HAPPY BIRTH--, kidding. Merry Christmas everyone! :)
> 
> (Totally unrelated stuff: Will Grayson, Will Grayson. I'm leaving this book recommendation right here.)


	5. Chapter 5

Nothing could have prepared him for this, and Kuroko instantly realized it as he stood frozen. His body turned rigid from Akashi’s intense gaze, mismatched eyes locking into his own pools of baby blue and it was like the fires of hell were melting Kuroko’s insides.

He never expected to meet Akashi like this— _so soon—_ and Kuroko, despite all the preparations he immersed himself into before coming to attend, was utterly lost with his mind going blank and senses going haywire. The hair on his nape stood and his shoulders were tensed. Goosebumps crawled all over his skin as he silently watched Akashi force two glasses (one empty and one full) to Midorima who hastily cradled them with difficulty, before taking a step forward. The sound of his shoes clacking against the floor reached Kuroko’s ears as if by some miracle. All the other noises seemed to drown away and he was forced to focus on the sound of Akashi’s steps as if it was intentionally making him know that it was coming for him and no one else.

Panic swelled inside Kuroko, but he could not bring himself to look away.

The rest of his companions were yet to realize that he was no longer trailing behind them as opposed to what he promised. But they were going to notice it soon, because Akashi’s presence only intensified the nearer he got. The floor felt like ice, and with each step the alpha took, Kuroko could hear the cracks forming an edgy line straight towards him, the ice under his feet threatening to break. He braced himself for the fall, the plunge in freezing waters, because at that point it was the only thing that he could prepare for.

It seemed as if a whole eternity had passed before Akashi’s feet finally ran out of steps to take. The tips of their shoes almost touching, and as Kuroko stared up at Akashi, he was made aware of the distance between them. Inevitably, he had to breath, and Akashi’s scent had enveloped the air that surrounded him, leaving him with no choice but to muster all his strength just to prevent his legs from giving in.

Akashi was just a breath away, and Kuroko took comfort on the thought that he was affecting Akashi just as much as the alpha was affecting him. The smell Akashi was emitting could very well mask his own, but Kuroko had no idea just how much he was giving away.

“Tetsuya.”

His voice was low, hushed, and he said Kuroko’s name with such gentleness it appeared as if he had just uttered the name of a deity. It made Kuroko want to melt, then and there, realizing how much he had missed Akashi say his name. Kuroko opened his mouth to respond with the only word that had been plaguing his thoughts for years.

“Akashi-kun.”

It sounded like a whisper to the wind— soft, airy, and speckled with a very subtle hint of yearning— and there was a shift in Akashi’s scent. Something that can be safely assumed as delight, but even so Kuroko regretted letting Akashi’s name escape past his lips. By doing so, he had exposed himself, and as Akashi stared down at him Kuroko felt vulnerable. The cold the seeped through his skin made him tremble and his toes curl from within his shoes. He averted his eyes, blinking as he lowered them down to settle for the patterns on the floor.

He tried to close in on himself, but it only led to giving away more distressed signals that Akashi easily picked up. The elatedness that swelled up inside Akashi after Kuroko said his name was replaced with concern and remorse. Another shiver crawled all over Kuroko and his shoulders shook quite noticeably, although there was no reason to try and hide it, because it was Akashi himself who was the reason for the tremor.

Kuroko was set on avoiding Akashi’s eyes until he could look up at them again without any problem, but fingertips grazed his left cheek and the touch felt like prickling fire against his skin. His whole body stilled as the ice that seemed to encase Kuroko quickly melted away. It did not take long before Akashi’s palms flattened evenly against each side of his face, making Kuroko feel like he was burning. However it was not the invisible flames that sent a pang of pain straight to Kuroko’s heart. Rather, it was how familiar was Akashi’s touch.

The omega wanted to come undone, because the feeling of his face trapped in Akashi’s warmth felt like the rightest thing in the world. His head was slowly tilted back as Akashi’s hands brought his face up, leaving him with no choice but to meet Akashi’s eyes for the second time.

“Are you alright?” Akashi asked with his lips in a small frown. “Are you feeling okay?”

He obviously was not. Kuroko had no idea why Akashi had to ask when he knew that the alpha could perfectly tell that Kuroko was far from fine. Kuroko bit his lip and masked his disbelief. Akashi’s question had chipped off the edges of Kuroko’s trance and it was now easier for the omega to regain control of himself.

“Yes.” He answered, unwavering, although a puff of breath was released through his nose. Akashi raised a brow, unconvinced, and a thumb ghosted over the dark hue under Kuroko’s left eye, which was the aftermath of skipping sleep. The alpha’s eyes wandered briefly over the whole of Kuroko’s face, taking a bit of time to check on his features. It made Kuroko uncomfortable, but he knew better than letting himself be easily affected and caught again. He refused to let go of the little power he had over himself that Akashi still had not taken away.

“Your face is red.” Akashi commented. If it were not for the sincerity in Akashi’s eyes, Kuroko would have thought that the man was making fun of him. Kuroko blinked once, taking in the information with a blank face. The impassiveness lacked its usual confusing effect on people because of the fluster on his skin, but Kuroko remained undeterred.

“I…” Kuroko trailed and Akashi looked at him expectantly. “I don’t know what to do with that information.” He honestly answered, eyes looking away for the second time despite Akashi’s firm hold on keeping his face up for him to see.

He pursed his lips, and his fingers began to tremble the longer Akashi kept his silence. There was no way to know what the alpha was exactly thinking, and Kuroko could only put his trust on the way Akashi’s scent continued to envelope him with comfort and reassurance, reminding him each and every second that Akashi was indeed there, standing right in front of him.

Air brushed through his skin when Akashi exhaled, and it was the last warm thing Kuroko felt before Akashi withdrew his hand and stepped back, letting Kuroko go. He almost leaned forward to chase after the alpha’s touch as the sudden absence of it excavated a yearning deep in his heart, but he knew better than to let his body do the thinking. Kuroko took a step back. Doing so felt like stepping out from the boundaries of Akashi’s sphere and it seemed to break off whatever spell that was casted on them both.

“Akashi.” Midorima came approaching from behind Akashi, and trailing behind him was Murasakibara with his own mini tray of sweets. He gave a simple nod of acknowledgement at Akashi before going past him to walk straight towards Kuroko. The tray was lowered down to him as Midorima took Akashi’s attention, talking about something concerning drinks that Kuroko vaguely understood.

“Thank you, Murasakibara-kun. I don’t feel hungry.”

“Kurokocchi!”

Kise and Momoi sprung from his sides, flashing him a look of concern, which he quickly dismissed with a reassuring smile that was believable enough for them to temporarily leave him alone.

He felt Aomine’s eyes on him, making Kuroko glance back to meet the unconvinced look on Aomine’s face. While Kise and Momoi gawked over Akashi after having not seen him for a long time and obviously disregarding what had just happened, Aomine frowned and appeared to have none of Kuroko’s act. His calculative blue eyes stared down at Kuroko’s trembling fingers that the omega quickly curled into a ball as an attempt to hide them. They stared at each other with no words, and Kuroko stood his ground until Aomine gave up with a sigh escaping his mouth.

Kuroko offered a thankful smile when Aomine gave him a simple, supportive pat on the shoulder before marching off to return by Kise’s side.

“Oi Akashi.” He greeted, gruff. The smile he managed to pull on his face appeared to be more of an overconfident smirk to which Akashi returned with a scoff.

“So you’re still alive, Daiki.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean!?”

Kuroko quietly observed how things unfolded in front of him, with Murasakibara munching on the snacks beside him and minding his own business. The overwhelming aura had vanished and was replaced with the smiles and playful jokes, and the bantering, making it seem as if six years had not passed at all. Yet Kuroko could not just ignore the fact at how everyone, with the exception of Akashi, automatically placed themselves in roles that served the purpose of covering for Kuroko. Everything fell into place perfectly well.

He knew that what his friends displayed were not fake, because truly they all had missed Akashi in their own ways, but behind all of those giddiness was the effort to preserve the moment for as long as possible, basking in the tidbits of time where they could act the same way they did in school.

“It’s the last piece.” Kuroko felt Murasakibara tap his shoulder. The tray had a single slice of red velvet cake wrapped in a thin, yellow sheet. He shook his head, declining, and his refusal drew a thin, unimpressed line on Murasakibara’s lips. Said giant leaned down for a bit and looked at Kuroko’s face intently.

“What is it, Murasakibara-kun?” He asked, and the other hummed before answering.

“Your face is still red, Kuro-chin.”

“Oh, is that so?”

Murasakibara nodded his head before straightening up again. “Maybe you should go out for a while.” He suggested, and it surprised Kuroko to hear it from Murasakibara of all people. Nonetheless, he nodded his head because the suggestion actually sounded helpful. Kuroko opened his mouth to speak, but another voice beat him to talking.

“Is something the matter?” Kuroko turned his head and saw Akashi looking both at him and Murasakibara with a raised brow. For the second time he attempted to speak but Murasakibara spoke for him.

“Kuro-chin is feeling dizzy.” The giant supplied, and Midorima was quick to take a step forward to have a better view of Kuroko’s face although he kept his hands to himself, wary of Akashi observing every movement from behind him.

“You don’t look well Kuroko.” Midorima stated after he was satisfied at checking Kuroko’s face and faint scent. “Some fresh air will you do good. It can be a bit suffocating here. You should step out for a bit.”

It seemed to be an automatic response for Kuroko to turn his eyes to Akashi as if he was seeking for permission to do what Midorima had just said. When Akashi nodded, Kuroko immediately excused himself. Kise and Momoi ran up to him, wanting to tag along, but he refused with a polite smile.

“I kind of need to be alone.” He whispered, and both his concerned friends could only nod their heads and watch him exit the doors. Kuroko’s escape was quick since he never really made it far from the entrance because of Akashi, but at least the little steps he managed proved to be helpful in going out and concealing himself from Akashi’s eyes behind the doors fast.

Kuroko could feel relief flood through him as soon as he was out, and after a few more breathes he hurriedly located the restroom that was fairly far from the party. 

* * *

Akashi could already tell where Kuroko was heading to despite his scent completely leaving the room. There was silence between them for a moment after Kuroko went out with everyone’s eyes lingering at the door, waiting for it to burst open again and reveal Kuroko’s recovered form despite knowing that it was not going to happen so soon.

Midorima turned to face him with a knowing look that made Akashi sigh. The greenhead walked then stood beside him, and before Midorima could give a quiet lecture, Akashi opened his mouth to speak first.

“I overwhelmed him.” He said, stating the obvious, because he was sure they were the very words that would fly out of Midorima’s mouth. “But at least I have proven something.”

“And that would be?” Midorima asked and Akashi could not help the tiny grin that crawled on his face.

“That he’s seeing no one, and that I still affect him.” He answered confidently, and when Midorima looked at him with disbelief, he rolled his eyes. “Don’t look at me like that, Shintaro. It was a fair fight. He had the same effect on me.”

He paused and glanced at Midorima from the corner of his eyes, knowing that the bespectacled man had so many things he meant to say, but Midorima chose to keep his mouth shut and Akashi could say he was pretty thankful for the silence. It was not really the best time for discussions, and the longer Akashi stared at the door, the more he itched to leave.

“I’m going after him.” Akashi stated, and his decision earned him pairs of eyes looking his way as if he had just said something wrong. The chatter between Kise and Momoi ceased, and Aomine’s bored expression was wiped off his face. Murasakibara’s eyes settled on his form longer than usual as if watching his every movement. He found all of their reactions to be odd but he assumed that the troubled and guarded expressions on everyone’s face, save for Midorima, were caused by their worry.

Akashi had an idea on how far their knowledge stretched when it came to matters between him and Kuroko, but he never made an effort to poke around and ask what exactly they knew. It was enough for him to know that in the very least, his friends had an idea that there was something going on and that that something had not died as proved by the obvious connection that sparked after he saw Kuroko again for the first time in the years past.

It was no secret, and Akashi liked the thought of everyone knowing that Kuroko was still _his_ , in a way.

He ignored the looks they gave him. He ignored Kise’s obvious attempt at returning to his jolly self before casually volunteering to be the one to check on Kuroko instead. A firm ‘no’ from Akashi had Momoi’s words dying in her mouth. He ignored the watchful gaze of Aomine and Midorima on his retreating figure. The only thing that prevented them from trying to stop Akashi was the deep-rooted respect of power, and understanding as a fellow alpha.

“We’ll try to be back as soon as possible.” He said, glancing over his shoulder. There was a silent command not to even dare follow him. Satisfied with the nods he received, Akashi stepped out of the ballroom and into the hallway.

It was disappointing that Kuroko had not left even the faintest trail of his scent. Akashi could not pick up on any no matter how many times he breathed in after closing the doors behind him. He lingered on his spot for a moment, head turning on both ways as he remembered which direction was the conveniently farthest restroom located, knowing that it was the first place Kuroko always ran off to. Things may have changed, but Akashi was certain that such habits were not going to disappear any sooner.

It may have taken a while, but after concentrating enough and letting his instincts take over, Akashi turned and headed towards the right.

He let his feet carry him across the floors. People who recognized him as he passed by offered a smile, and even with his occupied mind he managed to give a nod back. Flashes of the way Kuroko looked at him minutes ago bombarded his head. The excitement and impatience he felt before Kuroko appeared from the door was back, and so was the invisible pull that seemed to be guiding his legs as he sped across the halls. He unconsciously tugged on his sleeves the nearer he got to the restroom located at the far back of the hotel, a few feet away from the fire exit. Somehow he was certain that the omega was there.

There were many things Akashi should consider and worry about with what he was about to do, but the desire to see Kuroko again weaved through his priorities, putting itself on top among others. His face was stoic, but his rapid beating heart spoke the truth behind the calm façade.

Akashi held the knob and twisted it. There was a soft click, and that was about the only warning Kuroko got before Akashi showed himself from the other side of the door. He could tell that Kuroko was not expecting him, and the wariness in the omega’s scent reminded Akashi to be very gentle in his advances. If Kuroko felt cornered at the party despite the many people surrounding them both, then the tealhead most definitely felt trapped and panicked this time with no one else around but Akashi.

He remained standing by the door and let Kuroko recover from his surprise, because the last thing Akashi would like was to scare the other male away. It was not going to take long, he assumed, based on how Kuroko was a master of his emotions very much like Akashi himself.

Eventually just like he predicted, the cautiousness that floated in the air died down, although Kuroko’s whole body remained tensed. Akashi regarded this as Kuroko’s protective stance, a barrier built to prevent his knees from buckling as Akashi paced forward.

“I came to check up on you.” Akashi answered the unspoken question he could see from Kuroko’s eyes. He stood close to the other once again, observing the same distance he put between them back at the party, and he took it as a positive sign that Kuroko felt more at ease than moments before.

“You didn’t have to.” Kuroko answered and met Akashi’s eyes evenly. “I apologize if I worried you. I’m fine now.”

“I don’t think so.” A disapproving frown showed on Akashi’s face, and Kuroko just sighed and looked away because arguing about this with Akashi was going to be futile. Also, it was not like Akashi was wrong. Kuroko did still feel a bit shaken.

With Kuroko’s silence, Akashi took the time to admire the omega up close. The strands of hair that fell over Kuroko’s blue eyes were damp, and there were droplets of water that trailed down from his forehead. The red on his cheeks calmed down to light hues of pink, and the freshness brought by having just washed his face made the skin tempting to touch.

Experimentally, Akashi brushed the side of Kuroko’s face with the back of his fingers before tucking a wet strand of hair behind Kuroko’s ear. He felt the other still, but there were no signs of discomfort and repulsion. Kuroko continued to avoid his eyes, and Akashi noticed that the pink on Kuroko’s cheeks was turning unmistakably red once again. He could feel the warmth blossom against his palm, which cupped Kuroko’s jaw. The omega remained unmoving and Akashi took it as a signal to remove the few inches that kept them apart.

He pulled Kuroko close with an arm daring to circle around the tealhead’s slim waist, and it earned him a soft gasp. Akashi felt nimble fingers grasp and curl at his shirt as he rested his face on top of Kuroko’s head with his nose buried in slightly disheveled strands of blue. The sweet scent he had longed for invaded his nostrils when he breathed in deeply. His hand that cradled Kuroko’s face slid down the omega’s neck and his thumb rubbed behind Kuroko’s ear.

“It’s been a while.” Akashi muttered against Kuroko’s hair and he appreciated the way Kuroko’s body grew lax against his hold. Yet Akashi could still sense the hesitation as the anxiety mixed in with Kuroko’s heavenly scent, and he did his best to release calming pheromones that could hopefully melt the omega’s protective walls. He planted a chaste kiss on Kuroko’s forehead, and it made Kuroko’s cheeks flare up. But contrast to the reaction he expected, there was an attempt to pull away. Kuroko’s scent was leaking out and it made it easier for Akashi to gather hints on what Kuroko could possibly be thinking.

It was the same as before—the fight between surrendering and breaking free. Akashi knew where Kuroko’s conflict was coming from, that he was the cause, and now he was just trying his best to resolve it step by step. He felt Kuroko’s hands flatten against his chest, followed expectedly by a push that got Kuroko nowhere being naturally inferior in strength.

“Akashi-kun, please. We shouldn’t—”

“Not yet.” He cut Kuroko off with hurt evident in his voice. Kuroko was trying to snap away from his daze, and Akashi knew that Kuroko was thinking how it was a mistake to give in to his soothing touches, which only amplified the pain he felt. He was falling desperate and it showed with how Akashi’s gold on Kuroko grew firmer. “I know it’s my fault, Tetsuya. I’m not going to act like nothing happened between us but don’t push me away.”

“Please let me go.”

“You don’t want me to let go.”

“Yes I do. I need you to.” Kuroko tried to free himself away but to no avail, Akashi was successful at keeping him in place, trapped within the alpha’s hold. It was not fair at all, for his face to be buried near Akashi’s neck where the domineering scent was prominent. Kuroko almost whimpered as he squirmed. “I’m not going to run away. Please release me.”

“It’s not about you running away, Tetsuya. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to make it past the door even if you tried.” The arm around Kuroko grew firmer as opposed to the hand that rested at the omega’s nape where Akashi’s fingers ghosted over, drawing imaginary circles and playing with the strands of hair within their reach. The touches were making it harder for Kuroko to form words in his mouth and Akashi took advantage of the rendered silence. “I just need you to stay here, close to me, at least for now. You probably hate me, you’re probably mad at me, and I understand that. What I did to you was not fair, and you of all people never deserved it. But know this, Tetsuya, I tormented myself with regret every single day for the last six years. I looked everywhere and all I can see was your face. Every little thing reminded me of you and I—“

“Stop.” Akashi’s rambling ceased abruptly when a hand landed on his mouth, blocking and preventing any more words from falling out. He did not even feel Kuroko pushing him away just enough for both his arms to be free and cover Akashi’s lips with his palm. It was surprising, and Akashi allowed his eyes to go wide as they stared back down at Kuroko, who immediately removed his hand and looked away after realizing what he had just done. “I’m sorry. You were saying too much.”

Kuroko’s hands slid down Akashi’s chest, and taking advantage over the loosened hold, he stepped away and put an arm’s length between them. Akashi did not fight the push this time, acknowledging that he indeed had let his mouth run loose without thinking clearly. It was not the first time Akashi failed to lose his composure, but it only ever happened whenever Kuroko was involved. Had it been another time, he was sure Kuroko would have snickered at him because in some way, Kuroko took pride in being able to snap the cables that had Akashi acting so uptight. But there was only an apologetic look painted on Kuroko’s face this time, pulling on the strings of guilt that continued to bind Akashi’s heart and mind.

“It’s alright.” He said, eyes softening. Kuroko needed to hear him say that it was okay. He thought about touching Kuroko’s face again, but decided against it. If Kuroko tried to evade his hands he might just lose it.

There was no fear in Kuroko’s eyes, but there was worry. The omega did not want to upset Akashi in the slightest. Yet that was all there was to it and Akashi was relieved that Kuroko did not fear him for a potential outburst concerning social hierarchy, with a well rehearsed speech about knowing his place as an omega, that Kuroko should never dare lay a hand on Akashi again if his only purpose was to cut him off.

Though to be honest, if it were anybody else, Akashi would have no second thoughts putting that person in his rightful place— a place where he or she was not allowed to lay even a single finger at the tips of his hair.

“I never hated you, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko’s eyes were casted down. Akashi almost missed the tiny smile that showed on Kuroko’s face, gone in the next second when he blinked his eyes. “I am also to blame for what happened, but it’s all in the past now and we both agreed to forget about it.”

Alarms went off in Akashi’s brain. As unpleasant as it was to remember, Akashi could not afford to let it go.

‘ _We didn’t know what we were doing.’_

He knew it was beyond being unfair, but he could not just let things die.

_‘What we did was a mistake.’_

Kuroko surely suffered twice more than he did.

_‘It’s best to just forget about it.’_

Akashi would not be surprised at all if Kuroko would want nothing to do with him.

_‘Of course.’_

But Kuroko did not—never did hate him.

' _This is goodbye.’_

Instead, Kuroko just wanted to forget.

_‘Have a safe trip, Akashi-kun.’_

He looked at Kuroko in the eye and wondered if the omega really did try to bury that night in the deepest corner of his thoughts, leaving it there with the full intention of letting it rot until it completely disappeared. Because Akashi did, but he miserably failed everyday, which led him to his situation now.

Akashi opened his mouth to protest, but all he managed to say was Kuroko’s name before he was interrupted. Purposively, this time, and with more conviction than when Kuroko covered his mouth.

“I only came tonight to tell you something important, and since we’re already delving on through our history, I suppose this will make things easier.”

Kuroko gained Akashi’s full attention now, pulling his wandering thoughts away from his intention to speak his mind in refusing to forget everything as if nothing happened. The fact that Kuroko had not insisted on the thrashing away of their past, and instead decided to walk on its course, brought some relief in Akashi. There was not telling if it was a good thing or bad, however. For all he knew, Kuroko could just be worming its way to telling Akashi how he wanted for them to act like nothing happened. But then again, the omega was blunt, too straightforward for his own good that there were times it drove Akashi over the edge of his patience. If Kuroko wanted for them to behave the way they did back before _that_ night happened, he already would have said so.

“But I want you to promise me something first, Akashi-kun.” Akashi raised a brow and urged for Kuroko to continue. “Please do not say anything until I am done speaking.”

It was not a command, but a request that Kuroko was desperate for Akashi to heed. The alpha still could not tell where things will lead to, but looking at Kuroko and seeing him look hopeful had Akashi nodding his head.

“You have my word.” He said. It was rare for Kuroko to talk, and at that very moment Akashi knew that it was something that Kuroko really needed to spill. He would not dare deprive him of it. Even if he did, Kuroko would have insisted until he said yes, and he knew he eventually would.

“Thank you.” The omega looked genuinely relieved. A sigh went past his thin lips that Akashi just could not help but look at from time to time. When they parted again, words came out and Akashi was attentive to every single one that flowed forth. “I honestly do not want to talk about what happened six years ago, but this has something to do with this.”

Kuroko met his eyes, an unreadable look on his face. It made Akashi’s heart pound in his chest, and he braced himself for what Kuroko would say next.

“I’m only telling you this because you have the right to know. There are no other reasons.”

Akashi could not understand why, of all times, his perceptiveness was failing him. What on earth was going on inside Kuroko’s head? What was he thinking?

“Akashi-kun, when you left,”

Kuroko paused and took a deep breath in. Akashi found himself doing the same. The omega’s blue eyes looked flickered away and tore from his gaze for a moment before going back to meet it with renewed strength.

Akashi readied himself for the blow.

“You left me with a child.”

But nothing could have prepared him for it.

* * *

“They’re taking too long. It’s almost an hour now.” Kise tugged on Aomine’s sleeve as he continued to crane his head and look for a mop of vibrant blue and red hair among the sea of dull, business people. He held his phone on the other hand, waiting for a text from either Midorima or Momoi who were located somewhere in the ballroom. Murasakibara was insanely tall it was impossible to lose him in the crowd so there was no use keeping track of him. “What do you think is happening, Daicchi?”

Aomine finished his glass of wine first before giving Kise an answer.

“I don’t know.” He honestly said. “Those two are unpredictable as shit.”

Kise could only sigh and lean on Aomine’s arm. The both of the stood silently against the wall on the shady side of the whole ballroom, watching people pass by, hoping that they would spot the people that was preventing them from enjoying the food and drinks because of too much worrying.

“But you know,” Aomine spoke, making Kise look up to him. “if I were in Akashi’s place, and you were in Tetsu’s place, and you tell me that we have a kid that I didn’t know about until now, do you have an idea how I’ll react?”

A crease formed on Kise’s forehead, wondering how Aomine came to such a thought. But now that it was there, he could not help but grow curious. Yeah, how would have Aomine reacted if Kise suddenly told him that they had a cute, bubbly daughter that would probably be the omega’s exact replica?

“No. How would you react?” He asked, and Aomine hummed, pulling Kise closer to him as he pictured the scene in his head.

“I’d be happy, of course, but before that I will look at you, and stare at you, and I’ll be like ‘are you fucking serious, Ryouta!?’ but I don’t mean it in a bad way. And then you’ll say yes, and your eyes are red and blotchy from too much crying.”

“Hey! You make me sound like a crybaby.” Kise pouted but Aomine continued on.

“Then I’ll ask you again, and you’ll say yes again for the second damn time, and I’ll rake my hair up with my fingers and pull on them until my forehead stretches and grows, adding another inch to it but I’ll still look pretty damn hot,” Kise rolled his eyes. “then I’ll look at you again, touch your face, ask you what’s his or her name, and you’ll tell me the name of course. It’ll be the most beautiful fucking name in the entire planet, next to you and mine, and then I’ll ask you why you never told me.” Aomine paused, eyebrows scrunched as he glanced down at Kise who was already immersed with his narration. “Well, yeah, why didn’t you tell me, Ryouta?”

Kise mirrored the expression on his face and softly threw his own question back. “Well, it depends. Why did you leave me, Daicchi?” It left a bitter taste in his mouth, making him look away. The troubled scent that Kise suddenly emitted did not escape Aomine’s senses.

He hugged Kise tighter and kissed the top of the omega’s head.

“I can’t think of a reason. I can’t even imagine leaving you for anything, Ryouta.”

Red bloomed on Kise’s face, and he knew this perfectly even without having to see himself. The embarrassment creeped into him, making him try to hide his face by burying on Aomine’s chest. He could hear the soft laughs of Aomine and it was not making him feel any better.

“W-what are you— oh my god I can’t believe you’d say something like that, Daicchi!” He whined and playfully hit Aomine with his fists, but it only made the laughter last longer.

“Oh so I’m not allowed to be cheesy but you are?”

“Well, y-yes! Wait, that’s not even the point!”

Aomine’s shameless remarks was able to distract Kise momentarily from the issue at hand, and they continued to throw mushy and sweet retorts to one another, trying to see who would get fed up first. It was a pointless challenge they issued on themselves tough, because as much as it was embarrassing, they both honestly liked hearing sweet nothing down to their very core.

They had to stop eventually, and reality came knocking on their doorstep in the form of a text message. Kise’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and when he fetched it up to check, he saw Kuroko’s name on the screen.

“It’s from Kurokocchi!” He exclaimed, and Aomine removed his hands around Kise to give the blond enough room to read the text.

_‘I’ll be heading home first, Kise-kun. Enjoy the party.’_

“What!?” Aomine took the phone from Kise and reread the message with disbelief. Wasting not another second, he grabbed hold of Kise and quickly paced out the room. The blond was able to pick up on his speed, and it was one of the things Aomine really liked about his partner but now was not the time to show his appreciation.

They were out the door in no time, and with luck on their side they saw Kuroko’s retreating figure. Said omega’s distressed scent lingered in the air, along the path he had taken. The couple was keen on catching up to Kuroko so they could try and stop him, because aside from the emotional stress, they also worried about Kuroko’s safety. It was already late in the evening. Travelling alone at that hour can be pretty risky especially for an omega like Kuroko who did not bear an alpha’s marking scent.

They were ready to bolt down the hall, but Kise was only given a chance to call out Kuroko’s name before another presence loomed over them.

“Ryouta. Daiki.”

They snapped their heads towards the direction of the voice, and true enough Akashi was there, walking fast as he harbored a menacing aura that invoked fear in Kise. The omega quickly hid behind Aomine who seemed collected but was ready to raise his fists should anything happen for the worse. But instead, Akashi walked past by them in quick, agitated strides, not batting an eyelash.

They expected the red haired alpha to lash out, but all they got was a command that promised, possibly, their deaths.

“I want everyone upstairs.”

Akashi said, heatedly, and there was no other choice but to comply.

“ _Now.”_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or were there too many emotions in this chapter? .__. I hope it turned out well. ;__;


	6. Chapter 6

Akashi threw out everything useless that was in the drawer until his hand grabbed hold of a bronze lighter carved intricately with a dragon. He brought it up, and the humble flame it emitted gave life to the cigarette that was already in between his lips. Its tip glowed as Akashi inhaled, and the smoky air was released just as quickly as he turned around, only to be greeted by darkness. He did not bother flicking the lights open when he came in, making a beeline for the lighter, eager for the artificial solace that smoking brought. It failed to get rid of neither the trembling of his fingers nor the rapid beating of his heart, but it helped calm him down enough to be able to carry out a proper conversation with the people he was expecting.

As if on cue, Akashi heard three loud knocks on his door but he remained unmoving, continuing to indulge in smoking. He knew that they would take the hint. Midorima was there with them. Another set of knocks followed, and seconds later with nothing happening, Akashi finally heard the door click followed by succeeding footsteps. He saw their silhouettes pace through the dimness. Only the light of the city from the window illuminated the whole place. He took another puff, the ember at the tip of his stick giving out his whereabouts, and immediately he felt Midorima’s irritation.

“You could have bothered opening the lights.” Midorima sounded disappointed. Moments later he heard a click and light flooded the room. There was an unreadable expression on Akashi’s face as he stared at the rest of the others who was now gaped at him with surprise, certainly because of the cigarette stick. As if the smell of smoke was not enough of a giveaway when they entered. They should not be looking at them like that.

“Sit.” Akashi ordered. Smoke came out from his mouth when he did. His voice was cold, but it lacked the deadly venom that everyone expected. Nonetheless, they quickly took a seat, not quite letting their guard down for Akashi’s possible lashing. Who knew? They were at an unpredictable point.

He watched as everybody settled down on the black, L-shaped couch. Kise was huddled close to Aomine who had Momoi on his other side. Murasakibara sat beside her. Midorima took the single white sofa at Kise’s end, parallel to the still unoccupied side of the black couch. Akashi regarded them for a moment, noticing how their eyes refuse to look at his direction. He could not blame them, especially after the way he commanded Aomine and Kise to gather everyone up. Akashi would not deny that his blood was close to boiling, but it was not because of them. Well, not exactly.

Akashi detached himself from the table he leant on and walked over to the other edge of the couch. He tossed his lighter on the glass table, and the clink it made on contact was louder than expected and it made Momoi flinch. Aomine stared at the table, trying to check for cracks but there wasn’t any. The distraction he had set for himself though, was swatted away by Akashi’s hand coming in the picture to pull the ceramic ashtray near enough for his convenience.

He leaned forward and tapped his cigarette against the edge until the burnt area fell off before he took a seat with another puff of smoke. His legs were crossed.

No one said anything for the next minute, because no one dared. Akashi knew they were waiting for him to break the silence, but now that they were in front of him, he had no idea where to start. The anger and disappointment he felt were mostly centered on himself. Yes, he did feel betrayed, but he knew their reasons. Kuroko explained everything to him and defended them before Akashi could point fingers and right at the end of their talk, he realized that there was no one, absolutely no one he should blame but his self.

He still would appreciate it though if someone thought it best to tell him.

“Six years.” They all looked at him. “You kept this to me for six years.”

“Actually it’s three.” Momoi mumbled. “We also didn’t know until three years ago. Tetsu-kun kind of didn’t—”

“That’s not the point. You could have told me.” He said, bitterly, and he let his eyes travel from each of their faces, one by one until they landed on Midorima who looked like he already expected to receive most of Akashi’s distress. “You. I’ve been talking to you all this time. All. This. Time. Shintaro.”

“I was respecting Kuroko’s decision. We all were.”

Akashi glared at Midorima through the puff of smoke that brought an airy haze. He saw Kise wrinkling his nose from the corner of his eyes.

“And what about me?” He asked, sounding spiteful. Everybody except Aomine flinched. Akashi saw Kise’s hand pull on Aomine’s shirt when said alpha propped himself up and moved forward until he was at the edge of his seat.

“What about you, Akashi?” Aomine asked. His tone was calm yet smug at the same time. For once, he was able to talk back at Akashi with confidence knowing that he was at the righteous side of the argument. Not to mention, it was Kuroko he was defending. “Why didn’t you find out for yourself?”

“Dai-chan!” Momoi cried. Her eyes worriedly watched Akashi who was staring back at Aomine with a clenched jaw. Aomine remained unfazed.

“We understand that we are part to blame, alright?” Aomine continued. He glanced at Murasakibara and Midorima, and seeing that they did not have the slightest intention to interfere made Aomine feel more at ease that he was treading on the right track. “But hey, don’t you think that maybe, just maybe if you rang Tetsu just once, you wouldn’t be sitting here being dramatic and shit?”

Everyone appreciated Aomine not raising his voice, but it was nonetheless surprising for Akashi to receive sensible logic from an alpha he knew to be brash and unnecessarily too loud all his life. The room was engulfed once again with pressuring silence. Everyone was staring at Akashi, waiting for his response to Aomine.

“You think I don’t know that?” He said after a while with a brow raised as he looked at Aomine. There was no answer, not that he expected one. Akashi shook his head as he reclined back on his seat. The cigarette found its way back in his mouth.

He was not as heartless as people thought him to be. His friends knew that, and so it hurt when Aomine spat those words at him. Did he have any idea how many times he willed himself to pick his phone up just so he could hear Kuroko’s voice again?

“You have no idea.” Akashi muttered, voice breaking to a sad hush. “No clue at all.”

The rest failed to hear what he last said, but they did kind of know it already without needing the words to reach their ears. Akashi closed his eyes and immediately, the flashbacks started. He saw himself standing in front of Kuroko, hearing again his quiet voice as he revealed a secret that shook Akashi’s pillars. The promise he made— to not say anything until Kuroko was done— was not so hard to break. At least not after what he had heard. The news was enough to make him speechless.

When Kuroko was finally done, the first thing Akashi asked was, ‘ _why didn’t you tell me?’_

Kuroko tore his gaze away and did not answer. Akashi did not notice how the omega recoiled, almost closing him on himself again.

‘ _I would have gone back!’_ He said next, almost shouting, but he remembered where they were. The walls were not exactly soundproof. Too occupied by the surge of his own emotions, he missed the way Kuroko averted his gaze to train his blue eyes on the floor. He missed the biting of his lips and inner cheek, and the curling of thin finger on the fabric of his peach cardigan.

Remembering every little detail he failed to pay attention to, Akashi, now seated and ogled by the rest of his friends, found the words behind the silence that Kuroko oddly kept all throughout his outburst.

 _‘Why didn’t you tell me?!’_ ~~I was scared~~. 

 _‘I would have gone back!’_ ~~Would you really?~~

‘ _You should have told me, Tetsuya!’_ ~~I know.~~

 _‘Were you mad at me?’_ ~~No.~~

‘ _Did you hate me?’_ ~~No.~~

_‘I would have gone back.’ ~~Are you sure?~~_

_‘Why didn’t you tell me?’_ ~~I didn’t want you to know.~~

~~What would you do if you knew?~~

~~You can’t come back.~~

~~I can’t be selfish.~~

~~You have a big future ahead of you.~~

~~I can’t pull you down.~~

~~I don’t even know if you want this.~~

~~I don’t even know if you want this with me.~~

~~I’m not even sure if you want me.~~

~~Why would you come back, Akashi-kun?~~

‘ _You don’t have to be a father if you do not want to.’_

The words the left Kuroko’s mouth after keeping his silence for long stunned Akashi to stillness. As if not understanding what Kuroko said, he raised a brow and gaped at the omega who did not look like he regretted what he said. Kuroko was unreadable. Akashi searched his eyes but they turned into a stone cold blue that hid Kuroko’s emotions to well for Akashi’s liking.

He sniffed the air, but all he got was his own frustrated scent. It filled the whole place that it most likely masked away Kuroko’s faint smell.

_‘What are you saying now, Tetsuya?’_

_‘I’m not going to force you on to anything, Akashi-kun.’_

_‘Are you seriously telling me this?_

_‘Yes.’_

The realization weighed down on Akashi like massive boulders, and the more he delved into the pieces of Kuroko’s words, the more he was convinced that as of that very moment, he held the title for the worst person ever.

“What happened, Akashicchi?” Kise asked, voice soft and gentle. Of all people, he was the least that Akashi expected to speak to him under their given situation. He must look like he needed all the help they could offer, for Kise to address the issue without fear in his eyes. If anything, Akashi could feel the calming pheromones that Kise emitted, quenching the tension in the whole room.

Akashi looked back at Kise and bit his lip. There was hesitation. Never had he opened himself up and let anyone near enough to know his personal matters. But this one was an exception, and everybody knew it. This one, he needed to get out.

He leaned forward, elbows resting on his thighs as his eyes drifted down towards the table. The shortened cigarette stick that he had killed still burned from the ashtray and a thin, sheet of smoke danced up until it faded. He could feel their eyes on him, waiting for Kise’s question to be answered, but Akashi was not exactly in the mood to story tell.

A deep sigh escaped his lips as he cradled his head on his hands. He closed his eyes, taking in deep breaths until he was sure that his voice wouldn’t waver when he talked. A small, forced smile that was so uncharacteristic of him showed up on his face. Akashi never smiled at problems unless he had everything figured out, until he had everything under his control. But such was not the case here.

He looked up at them, blinking, retaining the halfhearted smile on his lips, and he confessed. 

“I don’t know what to do.”

* * *

Kuroko was not used to being alone. In fact, if he was going to be honest, he would say he hated it. But even so, being alone was sometimes better because at least, he would not have to hold back. The neutrality of his face broke in a snap the moment the door was closed behind his back. His knees buckled and he crouched down the floor, hands covering his face and it made everything darker. The lights were not turned on. He did not think it was necessary.

He still tried to stop the tears from falling off his eyes, because what just happened was not enough reason for him to cry. Deep breaths usually did the trick, and thinking about other things like his lesson plans and Chiasa’s breakfast the next day served to be enough of a distraction during the times Kuroko felt sensitive and weak. But as he stayed there, crouching by the door, his conversation with Akashi swarmed his head and refused to leave. His whole body still felt warm, and Kuroko hated to admit that he was already missing Akashi’s touch, that he wanted to breath Akashi’s scent again. It clung to him, and Kuroko could smell its traces on his cardigan from when Akashi held him close.

Kuroko did not want Akashi to let him go, and Akashi knew that, but basking in Akashi’s comforting scent hurt because Kuroko knew it was a pleasure the would not last long.

The months that followed the morning after Akashi left were torturous, needy months for Kuroko. He reached the point where he realized that he was not as emotionally strong as he believed himself to be. If it were not for Chiasa’s sudden intrusion in his life, Kuroko might have gone crazy.

He picked himself up from the floor. Stopping the tears from staining his cheeks was successful. His eyes had adjusted to the darkness of the apartment, and he easily navigated to the kitchen. He thought of making himself a cup of tea, but just thinking about the process— the boiling, the waiting, the reaching up for the box inside one of the cupboards— was tiring enough for Kuroko to dismiss it. Instead, he contented himself with just sitting, elbows folded against the wooden table. The silence was deafening, and it did nothing to help his mind back off from what had happened between Akashi and him.

Kuroko could find no word to describe their talk. He could not say it turned out to be better that he imagined it just because Akashi did not get angry at him, but perhaps it was because of that that Kuroko felt heavy. It would have been easier if Akashi expressed clear disappointment and mistrust. But it was the opposite, and through the questioning look in Akashi’s eyes Kuroko felt no signs of being pushed away. Rather it felt like Akashi was reaching out, like the pull Kuroko felt grew stronger. It was like he was being drawn in further by Akashi that it scared him.

‘ _I should go.’_ He told Akashi after he was able to say everything and answer the questions that the alpha was able to spell out in the midst of his bewildered and confused state. Kuroko could only go as far as Akashi’s side when a hand held his wrist, preventing him from advancing another step. He waited for Akashi to say something, but the alpha only stared right back at him. There were no words he could form, and Kuroko decided to speak again. As of that moment, it seemed that he was doing a better job at keeping himself intact.

 _‘Akashi-kun.’_ He gently tried to remove Akashi’s grip finger by finger, but it only tightened more.

 _‘You’re leaving?’_ The question echoed in his head. Akashi pinned him on the spot with his eyes again, and his voice was coated with disbelief. Without intending to (Kuroko knew that Akashi did not mean it), Akashi pulled Kuroko back in front of him again with much force it kind of hurt. “ _You tell me this and then you’re leaving?_ ”

“ _I told you that I only came here to tell you this._ ” He replied with the greatest effort on keeping himself from whimpering under Akashi’s piercing stare.

It had been difficult for Kuroko to move a muscle, but he managed to detach his arm from Akashi’s hold. He held the alpha’s hand, gave it a light squeeze and rubbed his thumb soothingly against the back of his hand until the grip loosened. Akashi, with that simple touch, had calmed down much to Kuroko’s relief. When he tried to remove Akashi’s hand, the alpha did not fight him then and to his surprise, Akashi offered to take him home.

But he declined.

_‘I can manage on my own.’_

_‘It’s already too late. At least let my driver take you home.’_

He was not able to protest after that because Akashi already had his phone on his ear. Seconds later and he was giving orders to the person on the other end. Kuroko could only watch and wait to be addressed again. 

He remembered repeating that he needed to go home and Akashi merely nodded his head. Mismatched eyes never left Kuroko’s figure until he disappeared out the door, and admittedly he was relieved that Akashi did not follow him out. He felt the slow formation of cracks on his emotional dam, and it would be hard to patch it up with Akashi, or anyone for the matter, around. Lingering by the door was not a good idea, and so his legs were quick to carry him away. 

Everything from there became a blurred memory to Kuroko. Aomine and Kise’s voices faintly rang in his head, and so were their worried-stricken faces. There was Akashi’s driver whose eyes Kuroko never met as he wordlessly let the beta servant guide him at the back seat of a lavish car. How the man recognized him to be the Kuroko Tetsuya that Akashi wished to be escorted home was beyond him. 

The important thing was that he was back in the safety of his aloneness. Kuroko was able to pull back and secure the stitches that held him together for years. It was dark, but Kuroko was confident that should someone suddenly barge in and look at him, there would be nothing to see but blank canvass. 

He closed his eyes and shut out whatever faint light there was the permeated from his window. The wall clock’s ticking brought a calming lull all over the place and in the span of minutes, Kuroko slowly drifted off to sleep. His unconscious state saved him from his troubling longing of something he wanted but believed could never have. 

When Kuroko opened his eyes again, it was because of the persistent buzzing of his phone. The screen was flooded with message notifications and when Kuroko caught sight of Kagami’s name thrown in the mix of Kise’s and Momoi’s messages, he blinked and realized that it was already morning. 

* * *

“Cancel all my appointments for the whole day.” Akashi said over the phone and his secretary unquestioningly obeyed. He tossed his phone on his bed after his call ended, and his body fell down the mattress next with a slight bounce.

It had been a stressful night. Akashi was used to pulling all nighters but the matters he dealt with the whole time he was awake was completely different from the problems he encountered in the office. Midorima and the rest gave him pieces of their thoughts, but after being left on his own, Akashi figured that those were not enough to put Akashi at ease.

He knew what he was going to do that day, and he had no plans of putting it off for tomorrow. Akashi already lost plenty of time, and if he wanted to make up for it he had to act as soon as possible. His eyes stung because of the lack of sleep and he almost dozed off as his body relaxed against his bed, but thinking about Kuroko’s possible whereabouts during that time of the day, at half past nine, made it impossible for Akashi to drift to sleep.

And what about the child. _Their_ child. He learned last night that he had a _daughter,_ and her daughter’s name was Chiasa. Akashi repeated her name over and over his head, and he could only imagine what she looked like. Momoi mentioned she got the same red hair as Akashi’s, but other than that she looked very much like her mother, Kuroko. The same wide blue eyes, cute nose, and a heart shaped face.

The more Akashi tried to picture Chiasa, the more he felt eager to see her.

But how would she react when Akashi presented himself? It was one of the things the bogged his brains out despite Kise’s assurance that Chiasa did not and will not hate him no matter what. Kuroko did not raise her with ill thoughts about him and if anything, Chiasa would be delighted to finally see Akashi. How she was going to express the delight however, Akashi did not know.

She could try to push him away, finding Akashi to be too scary and intimidating. So far from the sweet, beaming father that she may have pictured him to be.

She might suddenly realize that Akashi could have returned if he wanted to, but instead he chose not to contact Kuroko all those years even if he could, and then she would hate him indefinitely.

Akashi sat right up. He knew then, even if he still had not seen her, that the possible rejection would hurt a hundred times more than he could imagine.

He stood and marched towards the bathroom, completely giving up sleep, thinking that the burst of warm water might help him clear his head and calm his nerves. Whatever thoughts were pooling in his brain was not going to stop him though from seeing his daughter that day. This was something that cannot be put off for tomorrow.

Akashi’s movements were slower compared to his usual pacing routine— brisk walking to and fro different rooms while on the phone spouting orders, wanting everything to be flawlessly prepared before he arrived at the office. This time, he walked around absentmindedly, hands managing to make himself a cup of coffee despite his mind floating miles away. He winced a bit, brought by the scalding heat when he brought the drink to his lips.

He thought about what he should wear, because there was no reason to wear a pressed suit and expensive tie no matter how much he wanted to impress not only his daughter but Kuroko as well. Although he knew that there was really no need for it. Kuroko was not that shallow to judge Akashi based on how he carried himself, and it was one of the reasons why Akashi, towards Kuroko, he just… really loved him so.

Kuroko had no idea.

Akashi placed his mug down the sink and left it there before returning back in his room. There was only a well-ironed suit hanging inside the closet. He had asked it to be brought there, thinking that he would be at the office precisely at that hour. Sighing, Akashi turned away and walked over to his luggage. He pulled out some casual yet decent enough clothes. Deep blue jeans paired with a fitted, long sleeved maroon shirt.

He wore it, straightened out a few wrinkles, and then check himself on the life-sized mirror with a scrutinizing look.

  _Did he look like a dad in this outfit?_

  _Did he look scary?_

_Did he look like someone who fire people on a daily basis?_

_Did he look like a father?_

His phone rang and the call distracted him from trying to answer those questions.

It was Momoi, and she had the information Akashi asked from her last night. A text would have sufficed, but she just had had to call didn’t she? Akashi did not mind.

He was out the door in ten minutes.

* * *

Kuroko was half an hour earlier than Chiasa’s dismissal time. There were not even any parents waiting by the benches yet. Chiasa’s homeroom teacher had noticed him and was surprised to see him there so early, because he usually picked Chiasa up thirty minutes after her classes ended. Chiasa was one of the few children who were last picked up by their guardian or parent.

Chiasa’s teacher, Sawada-sensei, was gleeful when she approached him.

“This is a surprise, Kuroko-san. Chiasa-chan will be very happy.”

“I think so too. But please don’t tell her yet. I kind of want to surprise her.”

“Of course, of course.” She nodded. Her hands were clasped together. “But I do wonder, why is Kuroko-san early today?”

Kuroko gently smiled up at her, his hands placed atop the textbook on his lap.

“The students are preparing for the school festival. There are no classes in the afternoon.”

She did not question Kuroko any further and he was thankful for it. As much as he was great at making things up, Kuroko still felt guilty for having to lie even about the simplest things.

Sawada-sensei returned back to Chiasa’s class with Kuroko reminding her not to tell his daughter that he was already there.

The truth behind Kuroko’s early arrival was the odd behavior he carried to school. He acted weird, and for more than three times he unconsciously emitted distressed scents in the air, affecting not only his students but the other school staff as well. Not that it was an uncommon thing. The school accepted all kinds of people, and most often than not, students were sent either to the guidance councilor or clinic when the smells got way too strong, enough to pull out unethical reactions from hormonal alphas and omegas.

But it was uncommon for Kuroko to _be_ the source of it. The students he taught and people he worked with were used to just staring and trying to find a crack on the glass of his perpetual indifference. They most certainly were not used to being shown _more._

It riled the people up, and before things went out of hand, Kuroko was advised to take the rest of the day off. He did not try to argue with that.

Now, Kuroko was at ease. Sawada-sensei was not able to sense anything despite being a fellow omega, and she was a very sensitive one. For Kuroko, it was a good sign. The last thing he wanted was for Chiasa to notice that he was not his usual self.

Another minute passed and Kuroko heard voices from the outside. The chatters were light and friendly, and it was without a doubt that the other parents had come to pick their child.

“Oh! Kuroko-san! It’s you!”

Most were housewives. Some were working parents like Kuroko who, more often than not, only spent a maximum of ten minutes at the kindergarten, which was just enough time for the cute little son or daughter to say goodbye to their playmates.

Therefore it was refreshing for him to suddenly be included in a lively, friendly conversation between the omega mothers who welcomed him so openly in their little group of four as if he had been a part of it for years. It was inevitable for them to question his unusual early appearance. The times Kuroko made it there before the kids were dismissed could be counted with his fingers.

He gave them his rehearsed answer. They nodded their heads and continued their discussion about discovering new recipes to cook for dinner. Kuroko absorbed whatever information he heard, keeping in mind to try it for himself once he got hold of the ingredients.

It did not take long before the bell rang and it was followed by childish cheers and scampering feet against the floorboards. Kuroko’s head snapped up, neck craning as he tried to see if his daughter was in the mix of those rowdy children who immediately ran over the playground. Fun was their priority after all, and their parents let them off for a bit before they get called.

Chiasa appeared not long after, and Kuroko found her in between the alpha kid Kurose and a beta girl named Sakura who clung to his daughter’s arm the same way Momoi clung to Kuroko each time they met. They seemed to be arguing about something, because Kurose had his brows furrowed and fists closed, occasionally flying in the air to emphasize what he meant. Chiasa in turn would shake her head, and it may not seem like it but Kuroko knew how Chiasa seemed to be frustrated in getting her point across. The girl Sakura would back her up with fierce nodding and finger pointing. Then it was Kurose’s turn to speak again.

Kuroko decided to wait until Chiasa noticed him, not wanting to break into the children’s discussion. He could not hear them properly with all the noises around. It was not like he needed to. For a while, just watching his daughter talk with other children made Kuroko forget the thoughts that made him fall asleep on the their dining table, making his body ache and stiff. It was quite a while before Chiasa spotted him, and when she did, Kuroko found her look of surprise rewarding.

“Mama!” Her voice rose. She ran towards him and Kuroko welcomed her with a tight embrace and a kiss on the forehead. “You’re early!”

“Yes I am.” Kuroko smiled. His fingers gently swept through the hair that fell out of the purple clip at the side of her head. “They let me go home early.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s Friday today.” Kuroko said as he began fixing her hair with his fingers going through the strands like a comb. He removed the tangles before clipping her hair back again. “And Friday is ice cream day, remember?”

Her eyes shone like polished gemstones and they eased Kuroko from all his worries.

He stood up and encased Chiasa’s smaller hands in his. Chiasa’s classmates Kurose and Sakura bade their goodbyes with their waving arms. Kurose had his tongue stuck out, earning him a light shove from Sakura and an eye-roll from Chiasa before she fully turned away.

“What was that about?” Kuroko asked, naturally curious about how his daughter’s day went. Chiasa shrugged her shoulders with a smug look on her face.

“I beat Kurose-kun in chess.” Chiasa shrugged her shoulders with a smug look on her face. “Or not really. He didn’t know the rules. I tried to teach him but he got mad.”

“Oh.”

They walked pass the omega mothers that kept Kuroko company a while earlier, and both Chiasa and Kuroko gave a curt nod at their direction. Charming giggles and waves of goodbyes were sent back to them. Kuroko started to wish he had more spare time so he could come to Chiasa’s school ahead of her dismissal time, and spend the minutes of waiting exchanging gardening tips and cooking recipes with others.

He was not complaining though, and it was not like that kind of a simple dream was so out of reach. Kuroko knew he just had to work harder.

“Kuroko-san?”

His eyes left Chiasa when he heard his name. They stopped walking. Standing in front of them was a familiar man in his usual business attire, and he was walking towards them with a pleased smile on his face. It was Kurose-s father.

“Good afternoon, Kurose-san.” Kuroko lowered his head courteously as he greeted and Chiasa did the same, although no words left her mouth.

“Good afternoon. It’s nice to see you again.” Kurose stopped and stood a few feet before them, hands inside his pockets. He had an easy-going and confident vibe surrounding him. “Been a while since I last saw you.”

“Work ended early.” He simply replied, and Kurose flashed a charming smile that should have blinded Kuroko if it were not for his impassive nature.

“I see. So, going home? I can give you a ride. I just have to get my son and then we can go.”

“We’ll have to pass. Chiasa and I have plans today.”

“Oh.” Kuroko could tell that the man felt disappointed with the rejection despite hiding it behind his smile. “Okay then. Don’t let me stop you.”

Kurose walked past Kuroko and Chiasa, but not without patting Kuroko’s shoulder as he told them to take care. It was brief, Kuroko barely felt it, but nonetheless he smiled at the warm gesture, which also served as an unspoken ‘see you around’

When Kuroko looked back down at Chiasa, she was already looking up at him with a pout, which Kuroko found rather cute it was tempting to delay their trip to the ice cream truck at the park. It sold the best ice cream cones, in both their opinions, and would be gone before sunset. About the time when the sky would be painted with hues of red, and the sun had dimmed down to an orange orb that their eyes could look at without the filter of sunglasses.

“Mama,” Chiasa tugged on his wrist and Kuroko finally gave in.

“Alright.” He said, smile still present on his face. As much as how adorable his child was, she was just as irresistible Kuroko could not afford to tease her more. “Let’s go?”

Chiasa nodded her head once, but the sparkle in her eyes were convincing enough to tell that eating ice cream was going to be the highlight of her day. There was a skip in her steps and a small smile on her face as they walked down the street. The park was not that far, and with every corner they turned at, Chiasa’s pace would quicken.

Kuroko asked her the usual questions about how her day went, if anything weird happened, and he enjoyed listening to how everything seemed to be going well for her that Kuroko could not try and inject some serious talk in between.

By serious, he meant bringing Akashi up to her, because Kuroko knew that she had to know soon that her father was going to pop in the picture anytime.

He was not sure when, but he was sure that Akashi would show his face as per Kuroko’s request. _At least once_ , he had asked, and he believed it was not too much.

Chiasa did express her want to see the man to whom she got her red hair from, and Kuroko did say that she would. As for when, he did not promise anything. He did not want to irresponsibly drop words and leave them hanging for maybe, who knew, the rest of their lives.

They arrived at the park shortly, and the cute, kiddy music that played from the speaker of the ice cream truck abruptly ended their conversation as Chiasa’s head whipped towards its direction. Whatever story she was telling Kuroko was quickly forgotten at that moment.

“Mama.” She tugged on his sleeves, eyes still glued at the ice cream truck that was festered with kids who waved the money they held in between their fingers impatiently. Some had their parents in tow, as if that would bring them magically in front of the line without cutting through it.

Kuroko took a step forward, but Chiasa pulled him back and blocked his way.

“I will go.” She declared and Kuroko blinked down at her, mildly surprised.

“By yourself?”

“Yes.”

“You don’t want me to come with you?”

Chiasa nodded her head. Certainty flashed in her eyes and Kuroko knew she wanted to do this on her own. He looked worriedly at her and then at the ice cream store with the noisy line of kids.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” She looked at Kuroko as if doing the task at hand alone meant a lot to her, and somehow it did. It was kind of saddening to Kuroko though, in a way that as a parent it was as if hearing his daughter’s request to go alone was a kind of request for complete independence.

It was silly, but he could not help it.

“Alright.” He sighed and dug for his wallet from his bag, handing Chiasa an extra load of One Hundred Yen coins. She held out her palms, and after receiving the money she closed her fists tightly to be sure that nothing would fall out.

“Thank you, mama.” She smiled and before she took off, Kuroko fixed the clip on her hair a little above her ear to make sure that her bangs would not block her eyes and cause her to trip over a lump on the ground.

Before he could tell her to take care, Chiasa had turned and was already jogging off. Kuroko was left to watch her from where he stood.

The worry he felt gradually diminished as he watched her wait in line patiently. Her head tilted up as she scanned the flavors displayed on the menu plastered on the top. He felt proud. He always did feel proud on all the things she did, and trailing in that line of thought led Kuroko to think back on how he was going to break the news to her.

She was a strong girl. Kuroko was sure she was going to understand. He guessed that the strongest reaction she probably will give him was a nod of her head followed by very few questions. Some of them would be the normal, clueless inquiry of a child. Some would be questions that Kuroko expected to hear from a fifteen year-old teen.

Kuroko bit his lip. Maybe he would talk to her after they got their ice cream, after they settle themselves on an empty bench. It sounded like a good plan. She would be a in very good mood then, and it would be the same for him. It would just be like any other day between a parent and his child talking over some things, sharing their thoughts despite the age gap. Kuroko would get back to her on her unfinished story afterwards, and then they would go home without another anxious thought about what can happen in the future.

The line moved and she was second to the next kid in line. Chiasa glanced back at him, and Kuroko waved his hand with an assuring smile he thought she might need to accomplish the mission she gave herself. She smiled back before turning her head. Her feet twisted against the ground, which was a sign of her impatience. It was something the Kuroko saw often but never would get tired of.

His shoulders were at ease, and his stirring worries had calmed down. It was final— he was going to tell her while they ate their ice cream cones and the conversation would be a light one, as if they were just talking about the new kid in Chiasa’s class.

Kuroko’s focus was set in Chiasa alone that he failed to notice what was happening around him. The sound of approaching footsteps from behind fell deaf to Kuroko’s ears when normally, he would already have turned around to see who it was.

Speaking of who, if Kuroko was paying attention to his surroundings, he did not have to hear the footsteps to know the person that was making his way to him, because it was no other than Akashi himself.

When Kuroko felt chills suddenly crawl on his skin, Akashi was already standing behind him. He tried to dismiss it and blame the cold air, but that felt different. Very much different.

“Good afternoon, Tetsuya.”

The cold air did not make his heart pound in his chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if I wasn't able to update quickly. My excuse for that would be school work and thesis shits. Was this chapter confusing? Tell me if it was. As always, thanks for reading! I'll try my best to post the next chapter asap!!! :D :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akashi knew, as soon as his eyes landed on her, that she was his daughter.

For all the confidence he carried, Akashi, in truth, first hesitated to approach Kuroko after covering half of the distance that lay in between them. He had no idea that the few seconds it took him to walk a few steps were enough for his mind to gather a million thoughts in his head. All it took was to see Kuroko’s figure, back facing him. Akashi then wondered how the tides would flow if he sneaked up at Kuroko and covered the omega’s eyes with the warmth of his hand.

Just like he always did back then.

Kuroko always knew it was him, and Akashi of course was well aware of how pointless playing _‘guess who?_ ’ with Kuroko was. Because Akashi knew that Kuroko by then had memorized the feeling of his skin against him (Kuroko once let slip that his touch emitted the comforting warmth of hot springs, and in that prospect, indulging in it too much can be dizzying), as well as the low drop of his voice when he would whisper in Kuroko’s ear to ask him who he supposed it was that momentarily rid him of his sight in favor of playing, as mentioned before, a pointless game.

At first, Akashi had no idea what in the world made him think it would be fun to play a game that the likes of Kise enjoyed. Even Kuroko was surprised the first time he had done it, and since it was very unlike Akashi, the omega had forced himself to guess wrong. Kuroko guessed Kise.

_‘You know it’s me. Ryouta is right there.’_ Akashi said with amusement, hands still depriving Kuroko from watching Aomine and _Kise’s_ banter below. Kuroko was observing them from his seat by the window. ‘ _And I doubt Ryouta can split himself into two.’_

_‘I pray for that to never happen.’_ Kuroko smiled and tugged at Akashi’s sleeve, but the alpha was yet to remove his hands. Akashi liked the way Kuroko had gone lax and leaned against him. ‘ _Akashi-kun is weird today.’_

Akashi laughed.

_‘What do you think about them?’_ He asked, pertaining to Aomine and Kise. Kise’s face had gone red both from fury and embarrassment, which Aomine obviously seemed to enjoy. He was letting Kise punch his arm while he was laughing and dropping comments all throughout.

_‘I bet Akashi-kun that Aomine-kun will confess this year.’_

_‘There will be no betting then, because I’m thinking the same.’_

_‘Oh.’_

Their lips fell into silence after, and the only sounds that occupied the space were the comforting rustling of the leaves disrupted by Aomine’s laughter and Kise’s wails. Akashi’s hands freed Kuroko’s eyes but they remained close. A contented sigh escaped Kuroko as soon as Akashi treaded his fingers in those light blue strands.

He was itching to break his quiet then, as another question dangled off the tip of his tongue. 

_‘What do you think about us?’_

He wanted to ask, but chose not to. Back then, at five past in the afternoon in a random day in spring, Akashi mused it too early to fire the question. He decided to wait for the right time, the right moment, when the sun was neither at its peak up in the sky nor had it set completely down the horizon leaving only its lingering light. And so he kept his silence and continued to comb Kuroko’s hair until the omega fell almost asleep. Before he knew it, one Spring afternoon turned into days, to weeks, to months, and then it was Spring again.

And again. And again.

Flowers bloomed and wilted, and Akashi never said anything.

_‘What do you think about us?’_ The question played in his head and made his feet stop a few feet away where Kuroko remained oblivious to his unannounced presence. He asked himself, and tried to answer his own question. ‘ _How about now?’_

Feeling his fingers twitch and tremble, he buried them in his pockets. This was something he could not blame the wind for no matter how much he wanted to. Like the ‘guess who’ game, it would be pointless, because he knew exactly why he had to keep his fists balled and hidden.

How about now? Akashi resisted the urge to roll his eyes at himself. Well now, obviously and for the lack of a better word, things were tad more complicated than the way things were before. Now, he could not sneak up at Kuroko and cover his eyes. He lost that privilege six years ago the very second he turned and went out the door without a second glance, wearing the straightest, fakest undeterred face the world had ever seen.

Akashi could remember letter per letter, the words he had said that night. Words that Kuroko accepted without a single fuss, but that was not much of a surprise. Because Kuroko was not like him— he was not selfish.

His eyes continued to bore at Kuroko’s back. At that point, he knew that Kuroko should already have noticed him since he was not that far away, really. Kuroko’s attention was occupied however, and whatever was going on behind him was the least of his concerns. Nothing was going to happen unless Akashi mustered the courage to step forward, but that would require banishing the pool of memories and regrets, which was hard to grant. There was no other options though, not even the option of running away and returning maybe the next day. Just the same with his certain casual privileges then with Kuroko, he lost the right to flee. He had done it plenty of times before. The _‘right moments’_ slipped eagerly away from his fingers because he let it without much of a blink, and it led him to his situation now. All he could do was to take a step forward, the first step to patching and making things up with Kuroko and the daughter he never knew until the day before.

Another gush of wind passed. Akashi saw Kuroko hug himself, hands rubbing against his arms. His feet began to move again, feet crunching a few dried leaves but their noises were not enough to disturb Kuroko’s concentration over what he was gazing at. Akashi had a fair idea of what, or rather, _who_ it was that occupied all of Kuroko’s attention. He let his eyes flick over past Kuroko’s form, trying to scan the entire area before them, and all he could reasonably pick up was the noisy bunch of children falling in line in front of an ice cream truck.

Before he could jump from one kid’s face to another, all the while ignoring the anticipation that was building within him, Kuroko’s body suddenly going tense pulled Akashi’s eyes away from the sight to return and look at the man before him.

Kuroko turned sharply in a way that he seemed to have forgotten the stove on, realizing that he would return home not to a house but to ashes. Akashi did not stop the smile that tugged on his lips. All worries that plagued him were temporarily tucked away.

“Good afternoon, Tetsuya.”

There was no immediate answer as Kuroko let the surprise sink in. His eyes were wide pools of blue that Akashi could clearly well use as a stand-in for a mirror should he ever need one. Yet as much as he wanted to enjoy the look on Kuroko’s face, concern slowly crept in. There was a chance that his attention may be unwanted, not that he ever expected Kuroko to voice it out if ever.

“Akashi-kun?” His name fell more like a whisper. Under past circumstances, Akashi would have smoothly followed with ‘ _are you thinking about me again?’_ and Kuroko would flash a secretive smile to stand for an answer.

Akashi reminded himself that this was not the past.

“You were not expecting me.” Kuroko, still taken in by the surprise he felt, could only nod his head. “I’m sorry. I meant to tell you beforehand, but you weren’t answering your phone.”

To prove this, Akashi pulled his own phone out from his back pocket. His fingers had stopped trembling. Quickly swiping over his screen, he opened the list of his answered calls all with Kuroko’s name attached to it. Akashi held his phone up so Kuroko could see.

“I got your number from Satsuki. She told me that Friday is ice cream day, and either you get it from Atsushi’s place or here. You weren’t at Atsushi’s.” He explained and mentally cursed when he sounded too defensive. At least Kuroko seemed to recover from his initial shock, but there was still something etched on his face underneath its neutrality.

“I’m sorry, Akashi-kun. I turned my phone off.” Kuroko’s fingers subtly pulled on the fabric of his knitted cardigan. “Kise-kun’s been calling me since this morning.”

“So you too.” He nodded in understanding. While he was fortunate enough not to be bombarded by calls from Kise, he did receive a few text messages from the blond. By few, he meant eleven, because that was the fewest number when it came to Kise.

He noticed Kuroko turn his head quickly to look back at the direction of the ice cream truck. As Akashi followed his eyes, he moved to stand by Kuroko’s side. He was at an arm’s length, not wanting to bring any sort of discomfort to Kuroko. There were a number of things he learned last night at the party, and one of those was that Kuroko had not entirely lost his affections for him. But just because there was an assurance that his feelings were still somehow returned did not mean he had the right to take advantage of it.

Kuroko went through a lot, most of those he knew nothing of, and the blame was to be placed on his shoulders.

“Is she over there?” Akashi asked, eyes not escaping Kuroko seemed to flinch at the question. It was then that he understood clearly why Kuroko was in an uneasy state. He could distinguish the slight anxiety from his scent, and the fact that Akashi could easily take a whiff of it was even a proof of Kuroko’s internal panic.

“Yes.”

Akashi once again casted his eyes over to where the children were in line. He ignored the pounding of his heart in his chest and refused to acknowledge the worst possible outcomes he had thought of since he left the hotel he stayed the night at. In an attempt to distract himself, he took note of every single kid his sight landed on and very carefully he analyzed their features despite already having an idea what his own child looked like. Momoi and Kise’s descriptions were very specific. At one point, the two went on about how they envied his daughter’s hair, saying they were tempted to use the kiddie shampoo Kuroko bought her.

He searched for a child with the same red hair as his but he already had reached the start of the queue and all he saw was a boy with raven hair, waving a money bill like a country flag. Kuroko was craning his neck, and Akashi took it a sign that the other children were blocking their view, keeping them from seeing her.

“Akashi-kun,” Kuroko called softly. When Akashi turned his head Kuroko was already looking at him, eyebrows furrowed slightly. For someone like Kuroko, it was a big detail to consider. He paid full attention, waiting patiently for whatever Kuroko was going to say. “I haven’t told her about you yet. That you will be here today.”

Honestly, he did not find it surprising.

“It’s okay. You didn’t know either.” Akashi tried to smile, but it only appeared like his lips twitched. Awkward. He looked away and continued to curl his fingers against his palms from inside his pockets. All this time he had been thinking about how Chiasa could possibly reject him. Kuroko not wanting to see him anytime soon— as soon as the day after their first meeting in six years— completely evaded his mind.

Throughout his internally kept worries, unknown to him, Kuroko had sensed his mounting distress. He had not realized how he had fallen to an odd silence until he felt two fingers tug gently on his cuff. He turned his head. The only proof of his surprise was raised brows. Kuroko withdrew his hand quickly as soon as Akashi’s attention was back to him, and there was once again the arm long distance between them.

Akashi thought Kuroko did not seem so far away anymore.

“I was going to tell her today though.” Kuroko returned to hugging himself, hands rubbing against his arms. There was no smile on his face, but Akashi was sure that Kuroko was trying to ease him. “You were a couple of minutes early.”

“Do I need to leave?” The question came out his mouth before he could think twice about it. “I mean if you need time—”

“No.” Kuroko’s eyes softened. “It’s okay. I just need to talk to her for a moment. You don’t need to leave…” He trailed, voice quieting. “unless you want to, Akashi-kun.”

It hurt to hear the way Kuroko had said it, even accompanied with a smile for the sake of trying to convince Akashi that it was perfectly okay. Perhaps Kuroko was also trying to convince himself that it was fine.

Akashi swallowed.

“Won’t she get mad?”

“Of course not.” Kuroko shook his head. “There is no reason to.”

Guilt bubbled inside him.

“Okay.”

But his heart felt slightly lighter when the smile on Kuroko’s face grew, almost reaching his eyes, like he heard some good news. It dawned on Akashi that the last thing Kuroko needed was the thought of him leaving. The reasons did not matter.

He stayed, and Akashi got to know again the rewarding feeling of simply having Kuroko beside him. Not as close as before, but it was all the same. Their attentions were back at children and just seconds after, a small girl emerged from front of the line with two hands occupied with an ice cream cone. She was easy to spot despite her size, because her hair glowed like burning embers when hit by the afternoon sunlight.

Akashi knew, as soon as his eyes landed on her, that she was _his_ daughter.

It was not about the hair, not about the way she carried herself, not about the way her eyes carefully scanned him from head to toe as she approached, probably wondering who her mother had acquainted himself with this time. It was just about him seeing her and _knowing._ Maybe it was a blood thing, a _father_ thing. Akashi could not quite put the feeling into words but that did not matter. His eyes could not leave her as the distance between them closed. He could just fairly notice Kuroko leaving his side to meet Chiasa halfway. He noticed her eyes briefly looking past Kuroko’s shoulder from time to time, a curious glow in them whenever she looked at Akashi.

The conversation between Kuroko and Chiasa was layered with softness, but they were not too far away for Akashi not to hear. He could hear bits of their words, like Kuroko muttering thanks before giving her praise for a job well done and then Chiasa asking who the man with the red hair was.

“Who is he?”

It made Akashi purse his lips. Kuroko threw a glance at him, a reassuring smile over his shoulder. Akashi did not have to wonder how Kuroko could easily read him like an open book, because admittedly at that moment, he can actually pass as one.

Kuroko looked back at Chiasa, fixed her hair with one hand while the other took one of the ice cream cones. Akashi waited for his reply to her question. How was Kuroko going to answer? One thing Akashi noticed was the lack of nervousness that Kuroko possessed just minutes ago while they talked, but it still looked like Kuroko was thinking very carefully of what answer he was going to give. 

Akashi could only think of two responses. One would be the straight to the point answer, to tell Chiasa that the man with the red hair was the father she will only come to know now. The other one would be to introduce Akashi first as a friend, a very close friend. 

“Why don’t you ask him?” 

Akashi’s eyes widened and he stared at Kuroko, but he remained looking at Chiasa. Speaking of, her eyes now met Akashi’s fully, and he was at a loss on what he was supposed to do. Smile and say hello? He tried to pull his hand out of his pocket to at least give a simple wave of acknowledgement, but his arm was frozen. 

Kuroko stood up and finally faced him, the smile on his face still present but it did not help ease the panic he felt. He shot Kuroko a questioning look. ‘ _Do you know what you’re doing?’_ As if Kuroko could read his mind, the omega nodded his head and then prodded Chiasa to go ahead and ask. With the way she looked up at Kuroko, brows furrowed and eyes blinking, she as well was questioning her mother’s motives. Why did she have to go ask the stranger herself? 

_Exactly my point._ Akashi thought, answering Chiasa’s unspoken question because it was the same thing running in his head. 

He stood still and waited, not entirely sure anymore of what could happen next. It was useless to plan, to form tactics, to create an introductory speech. Akashi’s jaw was clenched as he watched Chiasa take slow, unsure steps towards him. She had decided to trust Kuroko, not asking question any further. And as Akashi met her eyes he saw a glimmer of what can easily be mistaken as recognition, only because she never had seen her thus making it impossible. What he deduced later on was that it was a strong look of curiosity. There were questions in her mind that she needed answers to. Her decision in doing what Kuroko had suggested, to ask Akashi herself if she wanted to know about him, was not just a daughter’s trust to her parent’s words. There was a reason why she eagerly set off, and Akashi wanted to assume but refused to hope. 

But she looked at him from head to toe and Akashi knew he was being thoroughly examined inch per inch. Every physical detail about him she was taking in and using it as pieces of a still unsolved jigsaw puzzle. There was no fear in her; just determination, and Akashi recognized it to be the same look Kuroko would wear whenever he would try to prove something. Determination spiked by hope, but not completely so when disappointment took its place, the fall would not hurt that much. 

Akashi let out a deep breath and bent down on one knee when she stopped walking. She was just three or four steps away, and Akashi could easily tap her shoulder with a finger if he stretched his arm and bent forward slightly. It was an acceptable, conversational distance she had kept between them, one that gave her enough space should the need to run for her life came. 

He expected her to say something first so he kept his mouth shut, but all she did was stare at his face and his hair. Her lips were pursed. The ice cream on her hand thankfully had not melted yet due to the cold temperature. Akashi did the same, observing her and memorizing every detail he could see. His heart was once again trying to get his attention by beating quickly in his chest. 

Right in front of him, just a feet or two away, was his daughter. His _and_ Kuroko’s daughter. Her hair looked really soft with the way it easily was carried by the passing wind. Kise and Momoi had every right to be jealous of whatever shampoo it was Chiasa used. Her eyes mirrored Kuroko’s in so many amazing ways. Akashi could see his own reflection in them. He could see his stoic face and wished that he could be as expressive as Kise right at that moment, just one time or until he figured out how to break the silence that continued to stretch. He wanted to pull her in a tight hug, but feared that he would freak her out, scare her, which was the last thing he wanted next to being hated completely. 

Against his instincts, Akashi remained unmoving on his spot, only allowing his lips to go against his rigidity so he could pull them into a kind smile (or at least he aimed for that effect). He opened his mouth to speak, but not before glancing at Kuroko who nodded his head, urging him to start the conversation. 

Akashi cleared his throat, smile growing a little bit wider much to his discomfort, and said the first thing that came in his mind. 

“Hello.” 

He wanted to smack himself in the head.

Six years, and all his first word to his daughter was a dull greeting.

“Hello.” She answered back. Akashi bit on his inner cheek, thinking of what to say next, because she clearly was not going to initiate talking. There was an obvious reluctance, he could tell by how she was also trying to keep her smells to herself, not wanting to give Akashi a hint of what she could be thinking and feeling.

“You want to ask me a question?” He asked with soft tone. The smile on his face remain intact and he realized it was not that hard at all to keep his lips curved up probably because it was his daughter he was speaking to. She nodded her head, and the question she dropped was not really what Akashi was expecting.

“Is your hair real?”

Akashi blinked and paused. Her inquiry caused him to stupidly doubt his hair’s authenticity for a second. He snapped out of his thoughts when a frown began to form on Chiasa’s face. He answered quickly.

“Yes, of course.”

“May I touch it?” Again, Akashi blinked but did not dally for long when she saw the eagerness in Chiasa’s eyes. It was cute, the way she stared at Akashi’s hair as if it could grant her three wishes.

He nodded his head.

“Sure.” 

Her arm stretched out slowly along with the single step she took when she could not quite reach Akashi’s head from where she stood. Chuckling, Akashi bent forward, letting her palms land at the very top of his head. He felt her tiny fingers curl on the strands of his hair, and the touch was soothing enough for his eyelids to droop almost completely.

It took some time, and then Akashi felt Chiasa’s hand crawl down his forehead and then to the side of his cheek. It caused him to look up, alerted, because there was a change in her smell. Something akin to realization, and it was clearly reflected in her eyes now that the blankness in her face was gone.

Akashi had felt it, the light prickling feeling when she touched her face.

“Mister, what’s your name?” 

Akashi smiled. The pieces were already falling into place in her head. 

“It’s Seijurou. Akashi Seijurou. Do you know me?” Chiasa shrugged her shoulders but something in her wanted to say yes. “Would you like to take a guess?” 

Chiasa stared long and hard. 

“Are you- are you-” She paused, swallowed the lump in her throat, and the tried again. “Are you my--” 

She stopped then bit her lip, and Akashi knew she cannot say it. Maybe because of fear, and maybe because she did not want to sound stupid. Because what if it was a ‘no?’ 

“Father?” He finished for her and she looked at him, breathing heavily as the suspense built up. Akashi released a breath he too did not notice he had been holding when he finally cut through the silence. “Yes. Yes I am.” 

The world seemed to have stopped and the noises in their background faded. Chiasa’s eyes could not be anymore wide than it already was. A silent gasp fell on her lips and Akashi could also feel his heart thump strong in his chest, close to leaping off his body just to escape the rising fear as he waited for anymore reactions from Chiasa. He saw her fingers curl against the forgotten ice cream cone on her hand. It was amazing how she still was able to hold on to it. There was the sound of the cone cracking, but it only must have been his imagination. 

Her cheeks were dusted pink and she looked at Kuroko, looking for confirmation that what she heard him right, that he was not lying, that all of this was real. Kuroko nodded yes, and she turned back to Akashi, lips parting but words failed her.

“You…” She trailed and Akashi’s eyes soften. He raised his hand and reached out, gently encasing Chiasa’s arm with his fingers and palm.

“Come here.” He said ever so gently and he could feel the corners of his eyes become wet. She let himself be pulled in a warm embrace. 

Akashi could smell her sweet and innocent scent, and it felt like all the burden he carried on his shoulders floated away. His arms tighten around her, one hand cradling her head as he buried his face at the space between his shoulder and neck, hiding how tightly he shut his eyes to prevent himself from crying. 

He did not expect this strong surge of emotions. He could not even understand why the impact was so strong. But he felt her do the same to him. Her thin arms trying to cover the whole of Akashi’s back but failing. Droplets seeped through his sweater. It was might be from her ice cream or her tears. Akashi could not bother to care anymore. She also had her face glued on Akashi’s left shoulder. 

The world continued moving around them but they remained glued on their spot, no one daring to let go. Akashi lifted his head enough to see Kuroko who watched the whole scene unfold in silence, not wanting to interfere. He could see relief on his eyes. 

_Thank you._ He mouthed, not trusting his voice. Kuroko smiled back.

* * *

He could already feel the headache coming when his phone blasted the tone Takao had set for Kise’s calls. Midorima pondered if he would answer his phone or not, and after a few rings he stood up and walked out of his study in search for his lover. He spotted Takao answering the crossword puzzle from this morning’s newspaper on their dining table, brows furrowed in concentration. Despite the annoying retro noise from Midorima’s phone, Takao remained curled on his seat, eyes boring at the empty boxes he was trying so hard to fill. All other noise fell deaf to his ears.

Midorima took time to admire the omega for a moment, liking the way the end of the pencil grazed on Takao’s lips, before he walked over and gently laid the phone beside the newspaper. The jolt Takao made was from genuine surprise.

“Shin-chan!” His eyes were wide. Midorima always did wonder how Takao was able to look at him everyday excitedly as if they did not live in the same apartment. Not that he was complaining.

“It’s Kise.”

“Yeah, I know.” Takao raised a brow questioningly. “Why don’t you answer it?” 

“I don’t want to.” He reasoned and pulled the empty chair beside his partner. “I’m busy.” 

“Yet you’re sitting beside me now doing nothing.” Takao grinned. Midorima sighed and pushed his phone further to Takao insistently. 

“Just find out what he wants.” 

Takao laughed and poked Midorima on the cheek. All protests that the bespectacled alpha had were ignored when Takao answered Kise’s call. The annoying ringtone finally came to a stop but was promptly replaced by Kise’s voice. 

“Hiyah Kise! Shin-chan’s being pissy again so he can’t take your call.” Midorima rolled his eyes, earning another wave of laughter from Takao. From where he sat, he could hear Kise whine along with an accusation of being mean. Midorima thought he should probably tell Aomine to buy Kise a dictionary because ‘mean’ seemed to be the only word the blond could use to describe people who did not want to talk to him. “Anyway, what can I help you with?” 

_“Oh! I just wanna know if Akashicchi called!”_

“Eh? Akashi?” Takao looked at Midorima while scratching his forehead. “Did Akashi call?” Midorima shook his head. “Nope. He didn’t.” 

“ _Is that so?”_ A defeated sigh can be heard from the line and Midorima could very well understand what Kise was feeling. Seeing the frown etched on his face, Takao’s beaming smile dimmed a little. 

Midorima told him about Akashi’s plans, care of Momoi’s intel since she was the first person Akashi had informed about his plans. Though immediately afterwards, he supposed that Akashi called him next, seeking for a bit of a boost, and then no one else after that. 

“Yeah. But it’s still early. It’s only six. Akashi might call later on.” Takao said as his fingers crawled towards Midorima’s to lace them together. “You should probably try ringing Kuroko.” 

“ _Will do! Thanks Takaocchi!”_ The cheerfulness in Kise’s voice was back. “ _Tell Midorimacchi to lighten up and that I said ‘hi!’_ ” 

Takao laughed at this. “Sure, sure!” 

“ _Gotta go now! Thanks again!_ ”

“Anytime, Kise.” 

The phone call ended. A sigh escaped Takao’s lips but the smile on his face remained intact. 

“Kise says hi.”

Midorima scoffed, not really caring much. 

“And that you should lighten up.” Takao then added, and Midorima sent him a half-hearted glare to which Takao only laughed at. Again. 

Seriously, Takao laughed at everything. It must be why he and Kise clicked too well. 

“For someone who pretends not to care, you stress yourself too much.” Takao stated, fingers now busy tapping over the back of Midorima’s hand. 

“I’m not.” 

“I can smell you.” 

“I’m stressed over work and not them.” 

Takao poked his finger on Midorima’s cheek then drilled on it, making the alpha lean away. 

“You lie!” The omega grinned. “Don’t worry so much. Akashi will call.” 

There was no certainty to it, but Midorima wanted to believe him with the way his silvery blue eyes twinkled. Midorima could feel himself relax the longer he stared them, and it was during times like this that he thanked the heavens for the luck of meeting Takao. 

He had told him all about Akashi and Kuroko, and how he and his middle school friends could not help but act like mother hens to the two (though he did not use the term mother hens of course). Midorima did not tell Akashi that all their secret conversations about Kuroko during the past six years, Takao knew, and it was he who calmed Midorima down every time the alpha was so close to bursting. It was, after all, hard to keep two secrets at a time. His awareness to both Akashi and Kuroko’s miserable-in-their-own-way states took a toll at times. 

Midorima’s eyes softened from behind his glasses. 

“How do you know?” He tried to challenge, but the words only came off as tired rather than biting. Then, as if on cue, his phone rang again but the sound that came was the standard ringtone. 

Akashi’s name flashed on the screen, and Takao hummed victoriously. 

“I told you.” He said, and Midorima supposed he should start receiving horoscopes from his lover. 

Letting out a rare smile on his face, he answered the phone. But not before placing a kiss on Takao’s hand. The omega continued to work on his puzzle. 

“Hello?” 

“ _Shintaro._ ” 

Akashi’s voice was oddly quiet, but it did not sound at all helpless. Rather, the opposite, actually, and Midorima assumed that the day, the _meeting_ , went fine. Akashi seemed to have been through a lot of thinking, or realization, or both. As he listened to the breaths on the other end, and with the way Akashi uttered his name, Midorima could say that Akashi’s mind was still occupied and not entirely devoted to their conversation. 

“Akashi?” He said when the silence was getting too long for him to bear. Akashi cleared his throat. When the redhead’s voice came through, it cracked. 

“ _I want them_. _I want my family._ ” _But._

There was an unspoken ‘ _but.’_ Midorima kept his mouth shut and waited patiently for Akashi to continue. He could hear faintly the hums of engines. Akashi was driving home. 

“ _They are perfect.”_ Akashi paused, and then, _“I don’t think I deserve them._ ”

 “Don’t be ridiculous.” He spat out too quickly, surprising not only Akashi but as well as Takao. The crossword on the table was forgotten for the second time as Takao tried to guess what it was that elicited such a reaction from other. “You said it yourself— they’re _your_ family.”

“ _But—_ ”

“Then work hard until you think you deserve them.”

 Although he still did think that there was no such thing as Akashi not being worthy of a family of his own. He felt a thumb lightly drawing circles on his forearm, and he relaxed. Akashi also was pulled out from his million worries, acknowledging now Midorima’s words. The doctor made sense.

 When Akashi did not speak, Midorima took over again.

 “I apologize. I didn’t mean to raise my voice.”

 “ _It’s fine.”_

Midorima leaned back on his chair and stared at the ceiling.

“You should probably tell me first what happened today for you to be thinking like this.” 

Akashi chuckled. 

“ _I should, huh?_ ” 

Their conversation went smoothly after that. Midorima listened all throughout in silence, only using his voice whenever needed. It was hard to ignore the happiness underneath Akashi’s words. For outsider, it would not have been obvious, but Midorima spent more time talking to Akashi more than anybody else and he just knew the difference between a laidback, content Akashi and a disturbed, stressed Akashi. 

Their usual ten-minute talk gradually lapsed for half an hour, and that was a long time considering both their not-so-talkative personality. 

It kind of hurt to know that Akashi considered depriving himself of the joy he was feeling now. The way he described Chiasa, calling her ‘ _my daughter’_ every time he mentioned her, was enough for Midorima to know that Akashi distancing himself to that child would be worse than hell. For all that had happened, Akashi was being unfairly hard on himself. 

Takao had stood up and prepared him a cup of coffee. Midorima’s eyes trailed up to look at Takao to thank him, but not wanting to disturb Akashi’s story telling in anyway, he just mouthed the words and Takao smiled. His eyes twinkled. 

Midorima felt his heart skip a beat and he could not help but think to himself, 

_That everyone deserves to be happy._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol not quite the ending that I planned. Sorry it took quite long to update. Suggestions and criticisms (and violent reactions go ahead woo) are very welcome! Anyway, let me know if it gets confusing especially with the flashbacks. I am scattering those flashbacks, it's gonna be like piecing the past little by little lol what am I doing i am a sad piece of akakuro trash.


	8. Chapter 8

That fateful afternoon went better than how Akashi expected, but it did nothing to lift the weight in his heart.

He was able to see his daughter for the first time, talk to her, hold her, and embrace her. He was able to do what every father did perhaps every afternoon— to buy her another cone of ice cream because the one she first had fell drastically on the ground. He was able to walk with her hand in hand as he led her at the back seat of his car. He was able to bring her home, safe and sound, and kiss her on the forehead. 

But he was not able to stay. He kissed her and then he left. He drove off down the street and into the busy highway with the tiny smile on her face plastered in his mind. 

Not to mention Kuroko. 

Right before he left, Kuroko smiled and waved his hand. The orange gleam of setting sunlight caught in his eyes. His voice was soft, but Akashi heard them loud and clear.

‘ _Take care, Akashi-kun.’_

Akashi’s grip on the stirring wheel tightened. He tried to put all his attention to the road, keeping in mind Kuroko’s words. The worst thing that could happen before the day ended was to break the promise he sealed with a nod of his head before he drove away.

Kuroko barely talked to him the entire afternoon. The omega casted himself on the sidelines and seemed contented by just watching him and Chiasa converse. Kuroko acted like an idle shadow, or more fitting, an invisible guardian angel except Akashi could never take his attention off of him. From the corner of his eyes, he watched Kuroko’s every movement. He noticed the slight quirking of Kuroko’s lips every time his and Chiasa’s interaction took a step further away from awkwardness. He saw the slightly disappointed face Kuroko made when he finished his own ice cream cone.

Akashi was tempted to buy him another one. 

But he never did, because he could not muster the courage to speak to Kuroko after the omega intentionally turned himself to an unnoticeable figure. It was as if a wordless way of telling Akashi to pretend that he was not there. 

He rolled his eyes. As if he could.

The distance Kuroko stubbornly kept between them gave Akashi a bad feeling. He brushed it off as Kuroko merely trying to give him and Chiasa some space, a chance to grow comfortable around each other without interference, but Akashi could not help but think that it was not going to be a one-time thing. It seemed to him that Kuroko was going to avoid close contact as much as possible for as long as possible.

Akashi was afraid that Kuroko was not going to give him a chance to drift close to him again, and that was not what he wanted. But what if that was for the best? After all, he could not just appear and barge in their merry family of two after six years of never even trying to make contact. Obviously, checking in through Midorima hardly counted.

He was too immersed in his thoughts that he almost sped past and beat the stoplight. The glowing red came in his attention a few seconds late. His right foot hit the brake abruptly, and his car suddenly stopping made him jerk forward. He almost hit his nose on the wheel if it were not for his tightly buckled seatbelt. Akashi had stopped right at the pedestrian lane, and he could clearly see the annoyed looks the people threw at his car for blocking their way. Soon enough, he heard tapping on his window. A traffic enforcer tried to peer through the tint, all brave and smug until Akashi rolled down the window and revealed his face. 

He did not know what kind of expression he was wearing, but in the end, the officer let him get away with a quick, fidgety warning. When the stoplight turned green and his wheels were at motion again, Akashi figured it was time to call Midorima. 

‘ _I don’t think I deserve them.’_ He said after a while, and then realized that he should not have let Midorima hear such a thing. 

For the rest of the drive, he listened to his friend’s harsh and piercing speech. 

By the end of it, he found his resolve. 

* * *

Surprisingly, Kuroko was able to sleep well that night and it was a good thing that he had. Otherwise, he already would have thrown Kise off the second floor of the apartment complex the moment he saw him when he opened the door. 

“Isn’t it too early to bother me, Kise-kun?” Kuroko asked while rubbing his temples. Chiasa was still asleep. With droopy eyes, he watched Kise welcome himself in his kitchen and make coffee. 

“You turned your phone off!” Kise exclaimed as he turned the stove on to boil water. “And I’m anxious for details, Kurokocchi! You didn’t even tell me Akashicchi’s going to meet you yesterday. I wouldn’t have known if Momoicchi hadn’t told me!” 

“I didn’t know.” Kuroko reasoned. He followed after Kise and retrieved eggs from the fridge, deciding to make omelets for breakfast. Kise made a questioning sound.

“What do you mean?” 

“As you’ve said, my phone was turned off so I had no way of knowing anything.” 

Kise gasped and it was followed by short-lived silence. Kuroko readied himself for an outburst of questions when he saw the look on Kise’s face. 

“T-then, what happened? Did it go well? What did he say?” Kise tried to peer on his face and make eye contact, but Kuroko continued to pace around for pans and plates. Kise followed him diligently. “What did you say? Did you talk? Was Asacchi there? Did Akashicchi see Asacchi? Does she know? Does she know now? Does Akashicchi—” 

Kuroko stopped and turned on his heels abruptly. The proximity of their faces silenced Kise, and it did not help that he could see his shocked face reflected on Kuroko’s hardened eyes. It was scary, and he swallowed the lump on his throat as he stepped back. 

“Kise-kun.” 

“Y-yes?”

“You’re noisy.” 

“Eh?” 

The ice in Kuroko’s irises melted away in a single blink, and Kise was once again left to talk to Kuroko’s uninterested back. 

“But Kurokocchi,” He whined and insistently stood beside Kuroko, fingers pinching the fabric of his stubborn friend’s peach pajamas. 

“Kise-kun, please.” Kuroko’s shoulders slumped and his movements were slower. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“But why? Did things go wrong?” 

“…no.” 

“Then why?” 

Kuroko paused, looked at Kise for a moment and he felt guilty for keeping on extinguishing the hopeful look in Kise’s eyes.

After quite a while, he conceded. 

“Everything went well. Chiasa-chan already knows Akashi-kun is her father.” 

“Really?” Kise beamed but he held back the smile forming on his face when he noticed Kuroko’s indifference. “And then?” He prodded. 

“And then what?” 

Kise’s eye twitched. 

“And _then_ , what happened?”

Kuroko shrugged his shoulders. Kise groaned. As much as he wanted to tell Kise about yesterday, he refused to for the simple reason that he did not want to remember much of it. He did not want to make it about him and instead focus on Chiasa alone. Akashi was there because of Chiasa and nothing more, even if he strongly felt otherwise. Akashi’s lingering looks towards him were not left unnoticed, but he ignored them and pretended to be oblivious. He focused on his own cone, smiled whenever Chiasa smiled. Sometimes he would spare Akashi a very quick glance and that was it. Nothing more, nothing less. 

Akashi was there for Chiasa. End of story. Why make it complicated by involving himself? 

Kise stared at him intently, thinking of a way to get him to speak, Kuroko was certain. Unfortunately for Kise, Kuroko had long mastered ignoring the blond since the first time they met. 

The doorbell rang, and while Kise obviously perked up, Kuroko felt dread pooling in the pits of his stomach. He kind of already guessed who it was on the other side of the door, because the doorbell did not ring just once but thrice, and it was followed by insistent knocking. 

“Ki-chan!” An all too familiar, cheery female voice exclaimed and Kuroko was sorry to find out that he guessed right.

“Kise?” An all too familiar, gruff male voice questioned and Kuroko was dreadful to find out she had company, and it was Kagami.

He had not told Kagami yet about Akashi.

“What the hell are you doing here…” Kagami glanced at his watch. “at eight in the morning?” 

“Well you see—” Kise tried to explain but was waved off. 

“Nah, actually I don’t care. Move.” Kagami went past Kise, dragging his feet across the floorboards after taking his shoes off and completely ignoring Kise’s whines. Kuroko greeted him a soft ‘good morning,’ which was returned with a grumble.

“I bumped into Momoi along the way.” Kagami explained as he gestured lazily towards her and Kise’s direction. They were exchanging excited squeals as if they had not seen each other for ages. Kuroko would have asked them to pipe it down, but he was still staring at Kagami, thinking of how he would break the news without Kagami causing a ruckus and waking Chiasa up. “What? Is there something on my face?” Kagami asked, noticing finally that he was being stared at.

“What are you doing here, Kagami-kun?” Kagami blinked down at him, brows furrowed.

“What do you mean ‘what?’ I’m here to cook you and your _chibi_ decent breakfast although,” Kagami glanced at the kitchen, spotting the beaten eggs and ready to use frying pan on the stove. “I see that you already got that covered.” 

“I’m not helpless in cooking.” Kuroko frowned and then turned to put the eggs on the pan. “I can cook edible food with decent taste for a long time now.”

“Then why do you still insist I cook your food?” Kagami feigned annoyance, making Kuroko laugh. 

“Because,” Kuroko looked up at Kagami and grinned, “why not?” Then he jabbed the beta playfully on the ribs. Whatever protest or complain Kagami had in retort was however drowned away by Kise’s voice. 

“It’s so unfair!” The blond omega wailed with a pout on his face, hands on Momoi’s shoulders as she shook her whole body in time with his childish movements. “Why don’t people ever tell me anything?” 

“Calm down, Ki-chan! It’s not like Midorin willingly told me the details. And it’s pretty one-sided too.” 

Kuroko sighed and turned around, leaving Kagami alone to watch the two with amusement. 

“What’s his deal?” Kagami asked after a while when Kise was still going on about something he could not understand. Kuroko paused, and replied without looking at Kagami. 

“He was asking me questions I don’t want to answer.” 

As Kagami opened his mouth, Momoi’s voice came through. 

“Tetsu-kun!” She called out but Kuroko ignored her, earning him a raised brow from Kagami. Instead of helping her ease Kise’s flowing crocodile tears, he turned to Kagami. 

“I should tell you something since you’re already here.” This piqued Kagami’s full attention. Kuroko sounded serious and actually looked serious despite his unchanging apathetic face. “But promise me, no yelling.”

“Why would I yell?”

“Because I met Akashi-kun yesterday.” 

The household quieted down. It was as if Akashi’s name leaving Kuroko’s mouth was a world-changing phenomenon. He knew that he was being stared at, with Kagami looking down at him with his mouth agape, and Momoi and Kise waiting (im)patiently for him to continue. 

“What?” Kagami blinked. When Kuroko did not even bat an eyelash, Kagami repeated louder this time, “What?!” Kuroko sent him a look not to even dare raise his voice any higher. “Akashi’s back?”

“You didn’t know?” Kise quipped from beside Momoi, sharing the same surprised look on her face. Kagami felt the irritation building up inside him. 

“Does it look like I know?” He rolled his eyes at Kise before looking back at Kuroko, who looked unbothered by it all. “Akashi’s back and you met him? Yesterday?” 

“Yes.” 

“And you didn’t tell me?” 

“I just told you.” 

“You know what I mean!”

Kagami gaped like the pet goldfish Kuroko’s kindergarten class kept.

With great effort, Kagami contained himself by biting his lower lip as he slumped down the chair he pulled from underneath the dining table. Realizing that sitting was actually better than standing like idiots, Kise and Momoi took on the other side of it, leaving Kuroko alone and busy. 

Kagami stirred on his seat, sent his other fellow visitors a look that made Kise and Momoi still, then twisted his body a little towards Kuroko’s direction. His fists were balled tight and his voice was low. It was a blessing perhaps, that Kagami was not born an alpha. Otherwise, his protectiveness over Kuroko was going to be a very huge problem for all of them. 

“We thought you knew.” Kise said as he exchanged glances with Momoi. “I mean, we dropped Asacchi at your house last… Oh.” 

“Oh.” Kagami deadpanned before turning to Kuroko again. “So you met him that night.” 

“Yes.”

“At Kise’s party.” 

“What?” Kise’s wide eyes told Kagami that Kuroko had lied. 

“So it wasn’t Kise’s party.” Kuroko nodded his head. Before Kagami could raise his voice, Kuroko touched his shoulder with another warning glance. 

It was amusing to see how Kuroko still had the power over things despite being in the hot seat. 

“I needed time for myself to digest things. I didn’t have enough time to tell you.” 

“And you think that _now_ is the soonest possible time? So what, you met Akashi twice now and I’m only knowing about this today? Were you even gonna tell me if I hadn’t come here?” 

Kuroko sighed, turned around, and went back to fixing them all breakfast. 

“I was planning to ring you up and tell you today, Kagami-kun. It’s just, you kinda beat me to meeting you.” 

“Why didn’t you—” 

“Because you would either have stopped me or asked to come with me, and I don’t want you doing either of those things. It would be too troublesome.” Kagami opened his mouth to argue back but Kuroko was intent on having the last word. “It’s been six years, Kagami-kun. I can handle things just fine now, and just so you know, everything went fine between Akashi-kun and me. A lot better than I expected, to be honest. He met Chiasa yesterday and they were introduced to each other as father and child. It was heartwarming, should you have seen it. There were a few words exchanged between us as I am mindful to keep my distance. Akashi-kun brought us home just before the sun was gone and we said our goodbyes. He promised he will be back later today though to see Chiasa again. He said he’d send a message.” 

Kuroko paused then looked at the three, meeting their gazes one by one with a blank face. 

“Does that answer your questions?” 

Kise raised his hand in a way that reminded Kuroko of his high school class. He nodded at Kise before turning quickly around to glance at the small clock perched on the kitchen table, calculating the time he had left before he and Chiasa needed to leave for their planned outing. 

“You’re keeping your distance?” Kuroko quickly transferred the omelets on a big enough dish.

“Yes.” 

“Why?” Momoi asked this time, and it was Kagami who answered her. Kuroko did not bother listening to his response as he fled for the bedroom to wake Chiasa up. He already knew Kagami’s argument anyway. The only thing that bothered Kuroko was that their voices began to rise up in volume. 

“He’ll just take advantage of Kuroko again.” 

“Akashicchi isn’t that kind of person.” 

“Of course.” Kagami spat sarcastically. 

“You should learn how to see things other from your perspective, Kagamin.” 

Kagami groaned and banged his head on the table in frustration. Kuroko was just concerned that the redhead would not leave dents. 

“I believe I already made clear that Akashi-kun never took advantage of me, Kagami-kun. You’ve heard the whole story.” Kuroko said, sounding tired of having repeated the same words over and over again whenever Akashi was brought up in their conversation. While Kise and Momoi looked smug with Kuroko’s reply, Kagami looked ultimately pissed. 

He was about to argue back, try and to drill his way of thinking in Kuroko’s head, try to make him understand his point, but Kuroko had had enough already 

“We’ll talk about this later.” Kuroko said, not only to Kagami but to Kise and Momoi as well since they seemed like they had more to say, intending to continue where Kuroko left off. The three pursed their lips, and Kuroko waited for a few seconds more before he was sure that no one was going to say another word before he pushed open the bedroom door.

To his surprise, he found Chiasa already awake and blinking up at him. The strands of her hair were a tangled mess but her pajamas looked like they were freshly ironed. She did not move much in her sleep. 

“Chiasa-chan?” Kuroko’s hands automatically flew on Chiasa’s hair to fix them. 

“Good morning, mama.” She mumbled. The touch of Kuroko’s fingers on her scalp gave off a relaxing feeling that she almost returned back to sleep if it were not for Kise and Momoi’s voices, beaming an all too cheerful morning greeting. It was only then that she became aware of other people’s presence in her home and she realized that the noise that woke her up was from them. It was not really surprising, although she did look curiously at Kagami and his expressive eyebrows. Behind her, Kuroko shot Kagami another look, a silent warning, forcing Kagami to huff and mutter a greeting to Chiasa. And while it sounded forced, it sounded natural because Kagami had always ever been edgy especially when around chatters like Kise and Momoi.

As Chiasa was caught between Kise and Momoi’s ogling, Kuroko kicked Kagami’s shin as another sort of warning to get it together, along with a promise that they would talk about whatever needed to be talked about later.

“Don’t ruin her day.” Kuroko said only loud enough for Kagami to hear, and said beta had no choice but to nod his head and keep his silence for the rest of the morning.

* * *

The office buzzed with adrenaline under Akashi’s supervision, because everything just needed to be fast paced if he wanted to get out of the place as early as he could. There was a lot of catching up to do, and somehow his secretary managed to squeeze in yesterday’s schedule with today’s schedule, which ended up with Akashi jumping from one meeting room to another on the first half of the day, and checking and signing a mountain of documents that needed his approval on the latter half. 

It was around a little past lunch time when Akashi reached for his phone for no particular reason, and as the screen lit up he was greeted by his phone’s default wallpaper—a sky accented with a gradient of blue and speckles of white, which seemed to look like stars. Akashi was pretty sure they were stars. No. He was certain they were stars. 

Akashi frowned and waved the distraction away before dutifully returning to signing the papers at hand. For a short moment he was tempted to call Kise and hire the omega for his infamous forging abilities for the sake of finishing all due paperwork, at the latest, by eight in the evening. Because Akashi really just wanted to leave soon, and his boring wallpaper reminded him that he did not have any pictures of his daughter on his phone yet. So he had to settle with the image of Chiasa’s face embedded on his head, the crystalline blue eyes that mirrored Kuroko’s. 

As the omega’s smiling face entered his head, Akashi felt another twist in his heart, which he openly interpreted as longing. With a sigh escaping past his lips, he went to his phone’s photos and after scrolling past unimportant faces, he finally stumbled upon memorable dates. Unlike Chiasa, Akashi had dozens of Kuroko’s photos in his keeping. 

He had many on his phone, hardcopies on his wallets, and a single one that was secured in a picture frame that rested beside his bed. It was a photo of the two of them, taken by Momoi with her digital camera. Akashi could very well remember the date she took it, and what had happened that day, and how that day ended perfectly, and how he wished that he would be able to spend the rest of his life living in the day alone. 

“Akashi-sama?” 

A knock pulled him away from his thoughts. When he looked up, he could see his secretary through the glass door with more documents in hand. He suppressed a sigh and beckoned her to come in. He took the papers from her before motioning that he had it covered and she could continue with her own pile of work. 

The chitters of birds from his memory were quickly replaced by the crisp sound of his fountain pen gliding over paper, and as Akashi robotically placed his stamp over his written name, he was thinking along the lines of stopping by Murasakibara’s place to buy Chiasa and Kuroko a dozen of red velvet cupcakes with vanilla frosting for when he would drop by their home later that evening.  

* * *

 

“There aren’t much people.”

 “Good. Otherwise it would defeat the purpose of coming early.” 

Kagami looked down at Kuroko as they walked side by side, and he briefly took notice of how the water that surrounded the tunnel competed for color with Kuroko’s hair. Kise and Momoi’s squeals took his attention the next second. Together with Chiasa, they ogled at Manta Ray that flew gracefully past by them. Chiasa’s eyes followed it until it was too far away from her sight, and Kagami could not help but think the same about her eyes the same way he thought about the water rivaling Kuroko’s hair. 

“Originally, we planned to go to the zoo. Just the two of us.” Kuroko said, stopping in his tracks, and Kagami did the same. “But after your reaction this morning, I thought it better to visit the aquarium instead. The calm here might help you, and those two can entertain Chiasa enough.”

As if on cue, Kise erupted with a fit of laughter and the next thing Kagami and Kuroko saw Kise and Chiasa fleeing towards the end of the tunnel hand in hand as Momoi chased after them, leaving a bunch of incomprehensible complains echoing behind. They both continued walking then, but without haste despite their three other companions disappearing from their range of sight. 

“You couldn’t blame me.” Kagami said defensively, to which Kuroko shook his head. 

“I’m not blaming you though.” 

“But do you understand what I’m trying to say?” 

“You’re not _trying_ to say anything, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko’s lips quirked up and he chuckled. “You just say things straight up. Like Aomine-kun.” 

Kagami frowned at having been compared to said alpha again. Normally he would try to fight and deny that they shared common traits, but there were other important things to talk about. Ignoring the mention of Aomine, Kagami went on with his lecture. 

“You need to be careful around him.” He said, and Kuroko raised a brow. 

“Akashi-kun is not going to jump me. He’s not like that.” 

“Akashi’s an alpha. You’re an omega, and you have feelings for him and you are weak against him. Tell me what happened when you first saw Akashi again.” 

Kuroko stared straight ahead and kept his silence until they reached the end of the tunnel, stepping into a dim room with a huge aquarium ahead that was the room’s only light source. Kise, Momoi, and Chiasa’s noses were glued against the glass, mouths agape at the stunning threadlike tentacles of jellyfishes.

After a while, when Kagami did not get a reply, he nudged Kuroko’s shoulders and it annoyed him that the omega looked up at him with an innocent face. It was as if Kagami did not just ask him a question. Actually, it was as if Kuroko had not heard anything at all. 

Kagami almost snapped, but then Kuroko’s face suddenly warped to a whole other expression. One that showed deep understanding, and it got Kagami to swallow away what he meant to say, giving Kuroko the chance to speak instead. 

“I trust Akashi-kun, but I do not trust myself. I’m staying away because I don’t want to be too attached.” Kuroko pursed his lips and his thumbs fiddled with each other. “I don’t want a repeat of what happened six years ago.” He smiled despite the memory of himself that surfaced in his thoughts, and he looked at Kagami in the eye with the smile on his face unwavering. “I don’t want that to happen again so I’m keeping myself in check.” 

For once, Kagami was at a loss of words and Kuroko could not help but backtrack for a moment on everything he went through after he and Akashi said their goodbyes. For the record, it was a clean “break-up” if one could even call it that since there really had been no relationship to begin with. 

“I trust you.” Kagami said after a few seconds of thinking of what to say next, and the words ‘I trust you’ seemed to be the right ones to tell Kuroko. 

He trusted the omega not do anything that would hurt himself again, he trusted him that he would be able to take care of himself. Kagami had no understanding of what Kuroko went through, alone, all those years but he knew enough that his friend would not want to experience it again. Though if ever Kuroko did, this time was going to be different because this time, he was definitely not letting Akashi fly away from Japan with being able to kick his ass and crush his face. 

All those violent thoughts he was having about Akashi, and Kuroko flashed him a grateful smile. Kagami had to look away.

“I still don’t like Akashi, though.” He muttered under his breath just to be clear, and Kuroko just laughed before pulling his arm to join the others. 

* * *

It was a little past seven in the evening when Akashi arrived at Murasakibara’s shop, much to his friend’s surprise. The other alpha’s normally stoic face brightened for a bit as soon as the bell rung and Akashi revealed himself at the door.

“Aka-chin?” He popped the lollipop out his mouth and leaned towards the glass counter, which Himuro had specially made to withstand the giant alpha’s weight. 

“I’m stopping by Tetsuya’s today.” Akashi said. His hands hid in his pockets. It was all Murasakibara needed to hear before moving and started filling a big, pretty box with an assortment of cupcakes. From his peripherals, he could see Akashi eyeing each one that he would carefully place inside and sometimes, whenever Murasakibara would pick an odd looking cupcake, a crease would form on Akashi’s forehead as if he was doubting Murasakibara’s choices. 

“The ones of the left are Kuro-chin’s favorites. Those on the right,” He paused and placed the last piece inside then pointing on all of those on the right side all together. “are Chi-chin’s.” 

“Chi-chin?” 

“Chiasa-chin.” 

Murasakibara did not even bother showing him the box after it was filled for his final approval of the choices, and Akashi was made to wait until the box of cupcakes was secured with a thick, frilly ribbon that was almost the same as Murasakibara’s hair color. Looking around the shop, the color scheme was obviously chasing after the children and the likes of Kise and Momoi. The pastels of purples, pinks, and yellows had Murasakibara standing out like a sore thumb because one, his height, and two, he was an alpha, all with exception of his hair. It was a rare sight, not unheard of, but it was amusing. 

Akashi already knew since way back then that Murasakibara would surely end up in a place like this, surrounding himself with the sweets and pastries he loved so much, but if there was one thing Akashi failed to predict, it was really the color scheme. Although to be fair, it was not Murasakibara who designed the shop, but rather his partner. Akashi remembered Midorima mentioning about Himuro Tatsuya to have pursued interior design. 

He was about to hand Murasakibara his credit card but was declined. Akashi looked at up at the other in question. 

“Consider it a ‘welcome home’ gift.” Murasakibara simply said with a tiny smile on his face, a refreshing look after having mostly seen his seemingly bored expression. Akashi’s instincts wanted to fight back and insist on paying, but his friend looked like he would be willing to argue until he convinced Akashi that he was not accepting any sort of payment. Sighing, Akashi kept his wallet back inside his back pocket. 

“Thank you.” Akashi said as he carefully took the box from Murasakibara’s hands, and he was surprised that it was heavier than he expected. “I will pay you back next time.” He promised and Murasakibara only nodded his head before Akashi turned around and headed for the door. 

And just before he pushed it open and stepped outside, he heard Murasakibara call his name. 

“Aka-chin. Goodluck.” 

He nodded his thanks. For the first time, Akashi felt like he would actually need it. 

* * *

Kuroko’s phone rang just in time after Kise, Momoi, and Kagami left his house. When he heard his ringtone blast from inside his bag, Kuroko lost his usual calmness and propriety for a moment as he chose to spill its contents on the table by holding his bag upside down. But for all his panic (or excitement) in answering the call, he dallied for longer in swiping the screen when he came face to face with an unknown number.

He knew it was Akashi. Even before he saw the screen, the second his phone rang he already knew it was Akashi. It was not until he felt Chiasa’s hand on his arm that Kuroko finally answered the call.

“Hello?” 

“ _Hello, Tetsuya. It’s me._ ”

 “I know.” Kuroko answered without really thinking, and the moment he said it, his other hand flew over to cover his mouth. Chiasa looked up at him curiously. He heard Akashi chuckle on the other end. 

“ _Of course._ ” The alpha’s voice was softer and less constrained than when Kuroko answered the call. “ _I’m on my way. I’ll be there in a few._ ” 

“Okay.” Kuroko said, but what he really wanted to tell Akashi was not to call while driving. It was dangerous. He could hear the traffic on Akashi’s background. Before he was tempted to add anything more, Kuroko decided to end the call. “I’ll see you then. Bye.” 

He placed his phone down the table gently afterwards, and the scatter of his things made him frown. Wordlessly, he started gathering them up again inside his bag, forgetting for a second that Chiasa was still by his side and was looking at him expectantly. Needless to say, he felt a little guilt crawl up his heart when he turned and almost stepped on Chiasa’s tiny feet. He gasped, and the child took it as an obvious sign that her mother’s attention was now on her. 

“Was that…?” She paused, not quite knowing how to continue. The look on her face when she hesitated, biting back the word ‘Papa’, almost was unbearable to see for Kuroko and he could only imagine Akashi’s face if he were there. 

“Your papa?” Kuroko finished for her, but she only stared at him as he knelt down until their eyes were at the same level. “He said he’d be here in a few minutes.” 

Chiasa may not show it on her face, but Kuroko could feel the energy around her change. Smiling, he pinched her cheeks and she let out a surprised sound at the tingling pain. There was a playful look on Kuroko’s face but there was also warmth and fondness in his eyes that calmed Chiasa, telling her it would be okay. Probably better than how her first meeting with her father turned out to be. 

“I’ll prepare our dinner first then we can take a bath after. Is that okay?” Kuroko’s fingers were removing the tangles of her hair again by habit. 

“Yes, mama.” 

With a lingering kiss on her forehead, she walked inside the bedroom and shut the door behind her. The breath she had been holding was released in a deep sigh. Chiasa was pretty sure that the second she stepped inside their bedroom, Kuroko was back to being fidgety, and as much as she felt almost the same, if not equally as nervous as her mother, she refused to show it.

The truth was, Chiasa was still in the process of convincing herself that she already had met her father. 

The feeling she felt back at the park was weird. When she first met his eyes, her heart already began to race. When she touched his hair, she was at ease to feel how soft the strands were despite looking so fiery, as if anytime Akashi’s hair would burst into flames and burn her hand, although she should have known by common sense that his hair was completely harmless. As harmless as his voice that was not as immensely deep as she expected, as harmless as his eyes that were not as cold and sharp and commanding like she imagined. 

They only spent the remaining time the sun had before it completely disappeared and left the city in the care of its artificial lights. Their exchange of words was awkward He asked her questions, and she would answer while he stared at her and she stared down at her shoes. But even with the short amount of time, Chiasa then knew that Akashi was the father she was longing for ever since the day she learned that all children had fathers. And she also knew that she was not going to trade him for all the riches in the world. 

“Chiasa-chan?” 

Chiasa pulled the door open when she knocked, and the way Kuroko seemed to pause and stare at her for a few seconds was enough giveaway that she had left her emotions out in the open and it was too late to hide the troubled look on her face. But one of the things she loved about Kuroko was that he understood her without having to say anything, and that he never pushed her to tell what was wrong. Instead, there was just that smile again. The kind of smile that would almost reach his ears as he held their towels and change of clothes in his arms. 

“The water’s warm. Would you like to take a bath first before dinner?” 

Chiasa just could not help but smile back genuinely. Her worries lifting up and vanishing momentarily in thin air. She raced Kuroko to the bathroom, leaving giggles behind every step. In fifteen minutes time, Akashi’s finger would be pressing on their doorbell but until then, Chiasa would busy herself shaping Kuroko’s hair with shampoo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took quite long. Apologies for whatever mistakes you find feel free to point them out. This is more of a filler aksldjklasjdlksa I'll try to update asap. alskjdlkasjdlksajdklajsldla ;A; askdjlksajdlkjsdlksa


	9. Chapter 9

According to Momoi, Kuroko lived on the third floor of the apartment complex, and his was the third door from the staircase. A small potted plant rested on the right side of the doormat that lay on the floor. Right by the threshold was a nameplate where Kuroko’s name was written in neat strokes. 

The neighborhood was silent, save for the frantic beating of Akashi’s heart and the occasional passing of cars down the street. Light peeked from below the door, but Akashi could hear nothing of what could be going in inside from where he stood. Although he could already picture it, somehow. Two pairs of fluff slippers lightly tapping on the floor as Kuroko and Chiasa went on about. The thought made Akashi feel hesitant, hand pausing just an inch away from the doorbell. And in this light, he saw himself as an intruder. Midorima’s lecture about proving his worth and Murasakibara’s wish of luck slowly faded in the background. All that was left once again was the sound of Akashi’s heartbeat as he closed in on himself. 

Perhaps he was rushing things. Maybe he should give it more time. For all he knew, Kuroko was in truth not really prepared for his sudden intrusion in his peaceful life, and Chiasa was being forced to cope up. One day he did not have someone to call a father as it had been for the past six years of her life, and then the next day Akashi walked up and claimed the title. It must have been quite a shock, especially for a child. 

His hand fell down his side and his lips were drawn in a thin, straight line. It was discouraging to have such thoughts plague his mind. It was not paranoia nor was it overthinking. Akashi dwelled on the reality of things, and the reality of things was simply that— discouraging, haunting. 

He was about to turn away, go down the flight of stairs and walk back to his car with having the cupcakes delivered by someone else who would not ask so many questions like Kise would, or someone who would not give him an earful for his decision like Midorima did. The negativity he had wrapped himself with was torn off however when the door he had been staring at opened and revealed the person he was pining for since the day Akashi’s eyes first laid on him. 

“Akashi-kun.” Kuroko straightened up, opening the door wider, and he dared look at Akashi from head to toe. “How long have you been standing here?” 

Five minutes? Ten? He had no idea. It was not like he was keeping track of the time he spaced out. 

“A while.” He answered, thinking it was a fair one to give Kuroko. 

“I see. Have you eaten dinner already?” 

“Not yet.” Akashi admitted, and it earned him a small smile on Kuroko’s face as he was invited inside. 

There was a refreshing scent that hit Akashi’s nose as soon as he stepped past the threshold and he could very well picture dewdrops forming and falling off the edge of wildflower petals and grass. Small birds perked atop thin branches of cherry blossom trees that were now guised in green as summer came. But it was all artificial, Akashi knew, and underneath the layer of a freshly showered scent was the smell that Akashi fell in love with.

It was the thick smell of sweet vanilla that reminded Akashi of cold rainy days comforted by warm chamomile tea and wool sweater. The sweetness had clung and enveloped his entire being long ago, never removing its embrace until now. It was the smell that made Akashi’s knees weak, as weak as his mind as it was easily occupied by one person alone, blocking any other thoughts out. 

It was the smell of Kuroko Tetsuya, who was now standing before him with an equal look of surprise on his angelic face as soon as he saw Akashi at the other side of the door. He stepped inside the place for the first time, tiny and neat and there was something boiling on the pot, there was the soft buzz of a stand fan, and it felt like… _home._  

“Here.” Kuroko placed a pair of house slippers beside Akashi’s feet as he removed his shoes. He thanked Kuroko, lifting his gaze to look at the omega’s face but the latter evaded his eyes with a quick turn of his head. Akashi liked to think it meant nothing. 

He instead turned his attention to the place itself, carefully observing the interior as a distraction to the once again rising nervousness. From where he stood, he could see everything. The kitchen was a few steps and a turn to his right, and right across it was the living room. The couches were beige. There was a rectangular center table made of polished wood. A twenty-inch television propped on top of a relatively small T.V. stand that was against the wall, and about two to three feet from the television was a door that was decorated with Hello Kitty stickers by none other than the child who was peeking from behind it. 

Akashi blinked, and noticing the towel wrapped on her head, he smiled. The sight reminded him of Sundae cones. 

He opened his mouth to greet her, but it seemed that Akashi was not supposed to find out that she was watching him. When Akashi saw her, she stilled. When Akashi smiled and parted his lips, she jerked away and closed the door but not before he caught the red the flamed her cheeks. 

The sound of the door closing caught Kuroko’s attention and he looked at Akashi with an unspoken question of what just happened. 

“She’s embarrassed.” He explained, not bothering to hide the grin that made its way on his face and upon hearing his words, there was a similar tug on Kuroko’s lips. With a bow, Kuroko excused himself and went inside the room where Chiasa was hiding. Just like that, the alpha was left alone.

Akashi let out a deep breath, and with only the sound of boiling soup to keep him company, he came to know that it was not only he who felt anxious. Perhaps if he was gifted with an animal’s strong sense of hearing he would pick up the thunderous beating of Kuroko’s and Chiasa’s heart. Perhaps if he held their hands he would feel and realize that it was not only his palms that had gone clammy from nervousness.

Thinking about how he was not alone at the edge of their still fragile relationship, Akashi finally found the strength to move his legs and move further into the household. The simplicity and humble tone it carried with its minimal decorations of two potted indoor plants (one placed on the kitchen counter and one by the window) and a few picture frames somehow mirrored the character of its occupants, and it felt as if Akashi was privileged to be taken in and be given a glimpse of it, like he was given an exclusive pass to be intrusive. 

It was like Kuroko had allowed his fingertips to touch the surface of his and Chiasa’s life, and Akashi was just thankful for it. Midorima’s voice stumbled back again in Akashi’s thoughts, but this time he received the bespectacled alpha’s scolding with a bit of hope. Perhaps next time, Kuroko would let more than Akashi’s fingertips graze them. Perhaps next time, Akashi will be allowed to embrace. 

He placed the box of cupcakes on top of the dining table, taking notice of the six available seats. The number was more than plenty for a family of two, but Akashi supposed that Kuroko and Chiasa were rarely alone in their apartment. Well, with the kind of friends they had, it was already a given. He alone had not been left to mull over things quietly with the constant barrage of texts ever since they got his number.

Akashi’s musings were cut when he heard the door creak open. When he turned his head, Chiasa was already looking at him with her lips pursed and her eyes obviously keeping the effort not to stray. Her plain yellow dress hung below her knees and her indoor slippers had bunny ears. The towel on her head was gone, and Akashi would admit that he was kind of disappointed. 

Kuroko followed behind her and gave her a gentle push from behind, the same way he did to her when Chiasa first met Akashi and refused to brave a step closer. It gave Akashi the impression that it was a common gesture between the two.

“Dinner will be ready in a while.” Kuroko announced as he strode past both redheads and they both looked at him, following his figure until his back was facing them. Kuroko could feel their stares but decided to ignore them both. If they saw him as a potential excuse to not talk to each other, he refused to give them that option. The whole point of allowing Akashi to enter past the door was so that the alpha can stitch the holes he bore through Chiasa’s life, and answer her questions that Kuroko was not able to satisfy. 

Nevermind his own feelings. He can deal with that. Suppressing was one of the things he had learned to master over the years. He was determined to stay out of the way seeing as it was for the better. 

The omega breathed a sigh of relief when he finally heard voices, soft and low and guarded. He could hear Akashi’s voice, asking Chiasa about her day in a very formal tone but there was the clear effort on trying to be approachable. It took a lot of willpower to hold himself, to keep his feet within the boundaries of the dining area. Because there just was this pull, this tugging in his heart, a clear want and need to join the two on the couch and talk about how their day went. Because staying aloof and observing from afar just felt off. Wrong, even.

He knew he was supposed to be there, but he also knew that he should not. Kuroko contented himself with listening to Akashi’s voice, answering the alpha’s questions quietly in his own mind as he carefully guarded the walls that prevented his emotional dam from flowing carelessly. It was not like it was very difficult at all. It was second nature to him by now anyway. 

Spotting the familiar box of cupcakes effectively slashed through the angst that was going on in his head, and the usual automatic excitement he felt every time he was at a close distance with Murasakibara’s works of art somehow had slipped through the cracks of Kuroko’s aforementioned walls. With the bowls of soup in both hands, he paused and stared delightfully, and Akashi had turned his head sensing his elatedness. 

“I passed by Atsushi’s place. He picked your favorites.” Akashi smiled, and the smile only stretched further when Kuroko met his eyes and thanked him with a subtle pink on his cheeks. The fact that the omega had not noticed the box when he welcomed Akashi in was proof that his mind had been way up above the clouds, trying to think of something else that did not involve said alpha. 

When Akashi turned his attention back at Chiasa, it was a sight to see her wearing the same gleeful face, to see her blue eyes twinkle as she also just noticed what Akashi had brought as thanks for letting him visit. 

There was silence for a while, until Kuroko met Chiasa’s hopeful eyes. 

“After dinner.” Kuroko stated, voice suddenly tinged with authoritativeness as he took the box off from the table and transferred it on the kitchen counter. 

Akashi remembered Kuroko using the same tone on him several times, on those occasions rare when Kuroko knew he had the upper hand.

“At least give her one.” Akashi suggested, and he kind of found it funny how their roles seemed to have switched with Kuroko being the strict parent. Least to say, Kuroko did not look pleased. 

“After dinner.” Kuroko repeated as he placed the plates on the table, eyes averted from Akashi’s observant gaze and Kuroko was very careful not to look back lest he gave in.

The seconds that followed was blanketed with soft chatters once again that accompanied Kuroko’s silence. A million worrying thoughts began surfacing and as Kuroko was placing the glasses on the table something struck him and he stilled, eyes wandering atop three pairs of chopsticks, three plates, and two glasses. The third was left waiting in his hand, waiting for Kuroko to let settle the fact that Akashi was here and Kuroko was going to sit across him, a table setting them apart by a short length. Kuroko realized that he would be serving Akashi dinner, in his home, for the first time ever, his carefully cooked meal.

Once upon a time Kuroko was the worst cook ever. Even worse than Momoi. But he had learned through the years and by now, his dishes were found worthy of Murasakibara’s praise and Midorima’s nod of approval. He was almost on par with Kagami’s culinary skills. But those did not mean that he was not self conscious about it now, most especially now, and it also did not take away the thought of having to share a meal with Akashi, a table setting them apart by a short length, he would be serving Akashi dinner, in his home, for the first time ever, his carefully cooked— 

Kuroko snapped and focused his attention back to his task, and he slowly pulled back his arm, his hand that was holding the third glass that was supposed to be meant for him. Oblivious to the mismatched pair of eyes that found its way back to observing his every movement, too lost in his own silent musings, Kuroko lifted away a plate and a pair of chopsticks, leaving only a set of two. 

Two. For two people. For Akashi and Chiasa. 

His back was turned and he was in the middle of returning those he took back in the cupboards when he sensed someone standing not too far behind him, and he already had an inkling as to what could be Akashi’s business with him was so suddenly because when he turned around, Akashi was giving him this seemingly innocent look that accompanied his innocent inquiry 

“You’re not joining us?” 

Akashi’s voice was kept low, mindful that Chiasa would not hear from where he left her with her puzzle book. Kuroko checked on her for a moment, past Akashi’s shoulders, before he turned away and focused back on what he was doing. 

“No.” He said, closing the cupboard and then walking towards the refrigerator to get the juice. “I’m not hungry.” 

Kuroko knew Akashi did not believe him entirely but for the record, Kuroko was not lying. He had lost the appetite some few minutes ago. 

He placed the pitcher on the table, joining the rest of what was already on it, and Kuroko saw how Akashi was regarding the food with an unreadable expression. 

“You cooked this.” 

“Yes.”

A tiny smile broke out of Akashi’s face and Kuroko quickly took his eyes away from him, turning to stare instead at his fingers as they fiddled together. He could not look at that face or that smile. He just could not. Akashi had his arms crossed and resting on the backrest of the chair, he was leaning forward slightly with his one knee bent, and he peered down at the food with an honest smile. It was not him trying to be polite. 

While Kuroko fretted over internally, Akashi just felt a little more thankful than he had moments before, a little bit more than when Kuroko opened the door and welcomed him inside.

He knew Kuroko was a bad cook, but the food on the table looked perfect. The smell made him aware of his hunger, which he had not noticed at all until now. Sensing a little distortion in Kuroko’s mood however ticked him back to look at Kuroko’s face, and the visible signs of nervousness was there. Then he told himself, as he watched Kuroko’s thumbs dance together, as Kuroko surprisingly stared right back at him with an emotionless façade, that while it was saddening that Kuroko refused to eat dinner with him, Akashi was content with just being able to eat something that his beloved’s hands had crafted.

And Akashi indulged himself with the thought that Kuroko seasoned his dishes with love. 

He would not force him. He would not insist. He simply nodded his head at Kuroko, smile not leaving its place, no words were needed at all, and he was pleased to see a faint glow of pink on Kuroko’s cheeks as the omega called for their— _their_ ( _Akashi would never get tired of saying it)—_ daughter. 

“Chiasa-chan, food’s ready.”

She perked up, round eyes leaving the page that trapped her concentration as soon as Papa stood up to discuss things with Mama, and they were smiling back at her, which was good. Chiasa did worry for a second, being a bit perceptive than other children of her own age. She noticed how Kuroko’s lids blinked more frequently as if getting rid of something that was caught in his lashes while his blue eyes seemed to dull into a darker shade, and she noticed how Akashi settled for silent observation, pulling of cuffs, and quiet sighs. 

The puzzle book on her lap was left forgotten on the table with a pencil sandwiched in between the pages to mark where she left off. She would get back to them eventually, because Mama once said that she should always finish what she started. Her footsteps pattered against the wooden floor as she approached the table. Akashi’s hand reached forward as she neared and his fingers were lost in the soft strands of her hair, still somewhat damp underneath from having taken a shower minutes ago. 

They both took their seats, Chiasa allowing her father to assist her even if she did not need it. Noticing the lack of a single plate on the table and the absence of another person who was supposed to be seated beside or across her, she turned and sent a questioning gaze at Kuroko. What she received was a small smile that begged for understanding.

“I’m still quite full from the snacks we had a while ago.” Kuroko explained smoothly and all because it was not a total lie. Kagami had forced him to finish two orders of Takoyaki from a local stand, and Kuroko could hardly finish one set. The churning in his stomach was not brought by hunger at all, but rather the conflicting emotions he felt as Akashi looked at him with a hopeful expression. 

Kuroko almost pulled the chair to sit down beside the alpha, but he turned his head and walked away to attend to the droplets on the kitchen counter that needed drying. When all was done and finding nothing else to pretend he was busy with, he excused himself with a soft voice, almost like he did not want to be heard 

“I’ll be inside the room if you need anything.” 

And Akashi could only nod his head, not wanting to spill the food that was in his mouth, which by the way was absolutely delicious he almost did not want to believe that Kuroko was responsible for it. Chiasa resumed eating after seeing Kuroko disappear behind the door with a soft thud, always so careful with his movements.

It was a shame, really, and it hurt Akashi to see Kuroko obviously avoiding him. There were many things he wanted to talk about, many things he wanted to ask, many things he wanted to make up for. But then again, Chiasa, his daughter, had not fully warmed up to him yet. She still kept her emotions in check, scent guarded, refused to speak unless Akashi asked her a question that required an answer more than a simple yes or no. However, unlike Kuroko, Akashi knew she was interested in him and the only barrier that prevented her from opening up to him was that she did not know how exactly she should act around him. 

Akashi already knew how to rectify the situation, and he had taken it upon himself to initiate conversations that would coax her to expose herself to him. He could already see progress, just then when they peered over her collection of puzzle books, Chiasa had shown enthusiasm in narrating how she was able to solve them without Kuroko’s help.

Her eyes shone with pride and for split second Akashi had seen his self. 

“Does your mama always cook dinner?” Akashi asked after he swallowed his food, mouth empty and free, intercepting the foreboding uncomfortable silence. Chiasa nodded her head in response and Akashi chuckled at seeing her one cheek inflated with food. “Well, would you believe me if I tell you that Tetsuya was a horrible cook before? 

Chiasa’s eyebrows scrunched together, not really liking or believing what Akashi had said. Kuroko? A horrible cook?

The look on her face only made Akashi’s smile widen. Memories of having witnessed Kuroko’s failure in creating a single decent dish flashed in his head. 

“Hm, there’s this one time that your mother tried to poach some eggs. Do you know how that’s done?” 

“Yes.” 

“Well, Tetsuya didn’t then.” Akashi shook his head. There was a far away look in his eyes and he fell into silence for a few seconds, picturing that particular memory, before returning his gaze back at Chiasa. 

She was patiently waiting for him to continue, not wanting to believe that Kuroko failed at such a simple thing as poaching eggs. 

“We were at Daiki’s house when Tetsuya insisted to borrow the kitchen. Apparently, he read from a cooking magazine how easy it is to poach eggs, and he wanted to try it himself. Knowing his poor skills in cooking, Daiki and I naturally offered our help. But Tetsuya being Tetsuya,” Akashi shrugged his shoulders. “he stubbornly refused.” 

“Yeah. Mama can be like that.” Chiasa commented in a murmur, and the look on her face as she stared down at her food, thinking deeply into Akashi words, made it appear that she had a clear understanding of what Akashi was trying to say. That _yes_ Kuroko can be stubborn to death if he wanted to and no one could stop him. She had seen it firsthand. 

“So we left him alone in Daiki’s kitchen, and Daiki was anxious about Tetsuya burning the stove. It did not take a while before your mama appeared from the kitchen with a sad face. And then Tetsuya said, ‘ _the egg disappeared.’_ ” 

Akashi tried to imitate Kuroko’s voice by speaking softer, but his effort in copying Kuroko was left ignored in favor of questioning another issue. Chiasa blinked up at him as if she had missed something that Akashi had said. 

“Disappeared?” She repeated and Akashi nodded his head.

“Disappeared.” He confirmed. His chopsticks idly settled in between his fingers as he gestured. “Your mama looked like he was about to cry, but he did not, of course. Daiki and I decided to check and… Tetsuya was not lying. The egg was nowhere to be found and all that was left in the pot was boiling water and eggshells.” 

“How?”

“It remains to be a mystery up to this day.” Akashi finished with shrug. His chopsticks dug on the bowl of rice and Chiasa did the same, although the wondering, mystified look was still present on her face. It seemed that she could not accept not knowing where the egg went. “How about you ask your mama later?” Akashi suggested, a grin already forming on his face as he could already imagine Tetsuya’s reaction. Chiasa wholeheartedly agreed.

“Mama knows how to poach eggs now.” Chiasa said, trying to redeem Kuroko’s reputation from being terrible in the kitchen. 

“I suppose so. If he can cook food that tastes this good, then he probably knows how to poach eggs without making them disappear.” 

“Maybe, maybe it was magic?” Chiasa scratched his cheek, eyes wandering up the ceiling in contemplation. Akashi raised his brow. “Mama said he once knew of a great magician.” 

“A magician?” 

“Yes.” Chiasa’s eyes focused back on Akashi. “He told me that this magician was very good. He could make coins appear from behind his ear and make paper disappear in his hands.” 

Akashi paused in the middle of putting food in his mouth. Coins appearing behind ears was a common trick, and so was making paper disappear with a twirl of a hand. 

“The magician, he said, can also bend spoons with just two fingers.” 

Another cheap trick. 

“But mama’s favorite magic was when the magician would take a flower from mama’s hair.” Chiasa averted her gaze and focused back to finishing her food, but before he could eat a mouthful, she added. “And mama said he always fell for it.” 

It was yet another cheap trick not to mention, but it was something that Akashi remembered himself doing, just like all the other easy tricks Chiasa mentioned beforehand. The spoon, the paper, the coin, and most especially a wild flower in his hands that he would make it seem like he got it from behind Kuroko’s head. His hands sifting through the softness that was Kuroko’s hair as he pulled his arm back to show Kuroko what he had seemingly taken, plucked out in thin air. Like Akashi had reached into an invisible portal that was hidden from Kuroko’s eyes, and Kuroko, Akashi remembered, _always fell for it._

Fell for it not in a way that a child would whenever their parents told them that yes, the tooth fairy was responsible for the coins under their pillows and that Santa was the one who put the toys in their Christmas socks. 

Akashi remembered the soft smile, the biting of lips, the weak push on his shoulder, and the seemingly unimpressed snort that Kuroko would make whenever Akashi pulled a flower from his hair. Sometimes a tiny white flower from the riverbanks, other times a red rose that was yet to reach its full bloom.

And Kuroko _fell for it_ in a way that he would avert his gaze, stare at the flower and touch its petals, in a way that he would whisper his thanks with reddened cheeks, in a way that he would later on look at Akashi fondly with a glow of happiness and gratitude, and _love_ , Akashi was sure because he felt it. Kuroko _fell for it_ as if Akashi had not done the trick before, receiving the same beautiful reaction every time no matter what, and so Akashi had no problems repeating the same trick, never getting tired, because Kuroko always fell for it and Akashi always fell for Kuroko’s smiles. 

Over and over again. 

“He told you about that.” Akashi muttered, and Chiasa heard him so she nodded her head, mouth full again with food that disabled her to speak. He went back to eating as well, somehow the food burst with stronger flavors in his tongue as he chewed. Elatedness erupted in his chest as he took one bite after another, and hope bloomed from within his soul, radiating positivity. Akashi this time did not have any difficulty in believing that everything will soon be fine. 

They ate and finished dinner with a small exchange of words, their conversation fell in a comfortable light rhythm of small talks and comments. Time flew by fast without them noticing until their plates were empty and Kuroko finally braved out the bedroom. His blue eyes were observant, trying to read the atmosphere between him and Chiasa. Akashi smiled, nodding to acknowledge his presence and it was also to show that he was glad to have Kuroko back with them.

“The food was great, Tetsuya. Thank you.” He said as soon as Kuroko was near enough. Satisfaction welled within Akashi when Kuroko looked away with pink tainting his cheeks. The effort in trying to look unaffected by the compliment was betrayed by that small detail.

Chiasa got off her seat and began gathering the empty dishes on the table. Akashi stood up, planning to do the task instead but she was already on her way to bring the plates to Kuroko by the sink. So he simply watched the two go on about between the dining area and the kitchen, eyes following their movements as they went through their usual after-dinner routine. He really wanted to offer his help rather than standing by the counter doing nothing, but Akashi had to admit that he found it nice to watch them in silence. He felt a sense of contentment. 

His little girl was about to grab a stool and assist her mama in washing the plates, but Kuroko advised her otherwise, telling her instead to join her papa and that they may start eating Murasakibara’s cupcakes. Her eyes lit up and with renewed energy she got hold of the box, opening it with a child’s enthusiasm that made Akashi chuckle. They settled back on the couch where they were seated before as they answered Chiasa’s puzzles, but the books were disregarded in favor for eating dessert. 

Akashi only let Kuroko finish with the plates before he decided that it was time to go. It was already late in the evening, and truth be told Akashi was more concerned about Chiasa’s classes the next day rather than his own meeting at seven in the morning. 

“Thanks again for having me.” Akashi told Kuroko as the three of them stood by the door.

“It’s nothing, but you are welcome to visit again, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko smiled politely, eyes flickering down not long after. He was still trying to avoid looking at Akashi in the eye as much as possible. Hiding the little bit of disappointment, and noticing that Chiasa had kept his silence, Akashi kneeled down until their faces were leveled. 

She was biting her lips, and her thumbs fiddled together. The mannerism so familiar to Akashi. Chiasa looked like she wanted to say something but again, there was still this existing gap that prevented her from openly saying her thoughts. 

“Chiasa?” He said, brushing and tucking loose strands of her hair behind her ear, and she looked at him expectantly. “I will try my best to bring cupcakes again tomorrow.” 

There was not much of a change in her expression, but her scent had wafted sweetly in the air, enough for Akashi to know that he said the right thing. He made a mental note to cancel whatever he had scheduled for tomorrow evening.

“Ah, before I forget, would you like to see a magic trick?” 

She eagerly nodded her head and it did not escape Akashi that he also got Kuroko’s attention. Without another word, he sifted through Chiasa’s hair, the slight touch tickling her hair as his hand passed. He made the sort of wondering face, as if he was thinking about something with deep concentration, and Chiasa’s eyes already had widened a bit. 

“Oh, what do we have here?” 

His face lit up, indicating that he had found what he was looking for, and he pulled his hand back to reveal a coin in his fingers. Chiasa stared at the coin with pure delight when Akashi placed the coin on her palm. Hand was so much smaller than his. 

“You didn’t tell me you have money in your hair, Chiasa.” Akashi teased, and finally a smile broke into her face. It was small, the corners of her lips tugging up subtlety it was not enough to reach her ears, but the smile was too pure and too genuine, and just too sweet. 

Akashi pulled her in a tight embrace, the smell of renewed interest, glee, and innocence enveloping him entirely that it made it very hard to let go. He wanted to stay, spend more time with his child, make her smile more, perform the cheapest tricks in the book to maker her laugh eventually. The hole in his heart was slowly being filled. He did not feel so empty anymore. 

“Thank you.” Chiasa meekly said, and Akashi would have to punch a wall as soon as he was out of their sight just so he could regain his tough, superior attitude in time for tomorrow’s meeting. 

When he let go and stood up, Kuroko’s eyes had softened, not as guarded as it was seconds ago.

“I’ll drop by again tomorrow, that is, if it’s okay.” 

“You are welcome here anytime, Akashi-kun.” 

For a moment, Akashi almost pulled Kuroko in his arms the way he did to Chiasa, but he was able to stop himself. His hand stopping halfway its journey with the intention of grasping Kuroko’s arm, and they both stared at it awkwardly. He saw Kuroko's fingers twitch as if responding to what he almost initiated.

Clearing his throat, Akashi’s arm fell back by his side. 

“I must be going then.” He proceeded to walk away, sending one last wave towards Chiasa who returned it back. Before he could full turn his back, Kuroko’s voice reached his ears. 

“Take care, Akashi-kun.” 

He paused in his steps, stared, and when Kuroko was about to look away from him in embarrassment, Akashi smiled.

“I will.”

The smile never left his face until he reached his apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gah an update sakjdlak please tell me if it's going tooo slow I like slow-build stories and character developments and the like but if the flow is too slow tell meeeeeee 
> 
> as usual, i will try to update asap kjkljklj criticisms are welcome send all the love and all the hate please thank you


	10. Chapter 10

With each time Akashi tapped the tip of his pen on his glass desk, his new secretary’s heartbeat increased a notch and as she recited his schedule for the day, he could feel the nervousness filling the air despite her being a beta. It was extremely annoying, or maybe Akashi was just not in the best mood so he opted to stretch his patience further and let her get away with the negative vibes she was emitting.

She will get used to him anyway in about two weeks, just like his omega secretary back in England who was actually much worse the first five days she worked with Akashi, dealing with his intimidating aura and snappishness, and she was an omega (on her second day she almost suffocated everyone in the office with her smell when she became very upset after Akashi snarled at her for being late). It would have been nice to bring her along but Akashi was not cruel enough to bring his English secretary on a country that was foreign to her, more so, to separate her from her mate.

Akashi knew how it felt after all to be oceans away from the person he treasured the most.

Although now it was two persons. He felt his stiff shoulders relaxing at the thought of Chiasa. Meanwhile, his secretary continued on reciting the notes she had on her clipboard, filled with names and time schedules. He noticed that she was blinking too much, surely trying to prevent herself from shedding even a single tear and well, Akashi could not really blame her. He had glared down at her when she tried to question Akashi’s decision on keeping his evenings of the entire week free.

“Anything else?” He asked when she paused. This time, he made sure that his voice did not make him sound agitated. Instead, he sounded tired and as his pen tapping grew slower, he appeared uninterested to whatever she was going to say, if there was actually more.

“Y-yes.” She answered and Akashi watched her fiddle through the sticky notes on her clipboard. He cannot help but wonder why she was still using those tiny pieces of colored paper when he made sure that all his employees were properly equipped with useful gadgets for added efficiency. Akashi made a mental reminder to address that issue when he was in the mood. “Um, the CE—I mean president. The president’s assistant called and he said that you will have dinner with him at seven. I have here the details—”

“Ring him back.” Akashi said without thinking twice, waving his hand dismissively as he leaned back on his chair. He spoke with finality albeit wondering why the sudden invitation from his father. “I told you that my evenings for the whole week are to be kept free. There are no exceptions.”

She opened her mouth to respond but she sealed them back again quickly, remembering Akashi’s glare from just a few minutes ago. Her eyes began to glisten more with unshed tears and Akashi knew well the internal conflict she was having. Torn between possibly disobeying either of the two most powerful alphas in the company, the president Akashi Masaomi and his son and CEO Akashi Seijurou, she looked like she was going to break from the stress any second.

“Do not think about it too much. Just tell him I’m not available.” He finally said with a tone gentler than he intended to, and this made her look up at him with pursed lips and furrowed brows in confusion. “Whether he gets mad or not is not your problem. You’re my secretary. I order you to tell things to other people in my stead. You’re just doing your job.”

Akashi did not have to look away from his desktop to see that her face shone with renewed motivation. He heard a fairly loud ‘yes’ and that was enough to tell that he was able to get his point across. She would be less troublesome and more tolerable to speak to now. From the corner of his eyes Akashi could see her scribbling on one of her post-its again. He sighed and began to type a message on his phone.

“Were you able to get me the reservations?”

“Yes sir!” She quickly peered down at her notes and began to recite without a pause the details she wrote, like a dependable top of the class student. Akashi did not stop her just to be sure that she did get his instructions right. It was very crucial. At the end of her recitation Akashi was nodding in approval, although not really impressed.

“Good.” He waited until the message he typed was successfully sent before placing his phone back beside his pen. “Someone will come up later and will look for you. He’s got a package with him so you better not leave your desk for the whole afternoon unless I call for you.”

“Y-yes sir.”

“You may go now.”

Akashi heaved another sigh after hearing his office door close behind her. He continued to stare at his screen and he could see his own troubled reflection on its blackness, frowning back at him because now as he was left alone again without his secretary’s trembling voice, Akashi dwelled back to his own personal problems that had nothing to do with the company whatsoever.

Like what he instructed, he had the evenings of his whole week free. He dedicated the hours off work to eating dinner with his daughter who already had warmed up to him to the extent that she no longer hid behind the bedroom door anymore whenever Akashi showed up. A smile crept up his face when he remembered that it was not Kuroko’s face that greeted him on the fourth day when the door opened. Rather, it was Chiasa who welcomed him inside and Akashi leaned down to kiss her on the cheek.

It all felt so natural as if Chiasa had been greeting him home for years, but while he was able to make progress with his daughter, the bridge Akashi wanted to build to reach Kuroko was yet to take form. Akashi continued to hang on the other end with Kuroko refusing to take the other end of the rope, hiding behind excuses just so he would not have to eat dinner with him, to keep their interaction at a minimum, never going beyond what was necessary.

As much as he enjoyed and treasured his precious moments with Chiasa, and as much as she was able to splash Akashi’s life with brand new colors, there was still this hollowness within the alpha that he knew only Kuroko could fill. And it was not just simple emptiness. Akashi felt like something had been taken away from him.

So it had been a week full of evasions from Kuroko, thus a week full of thinking and strategizing for Akashi. He had forgotten how creative Kuroko could be in coming up with the perfect excuse and alibis that Akashi could not pierce through with accusing Kuroko of being a liar. Because when Kuroko said he ate a burger from a stand on the way home, it was indeed true. Akashi could faintly smell the scent of meat and grease that clung on Kuroko’s clothes, and he knew then that Kuroko had planned everything beforehand.

Akashi decided he was going to have to up his game and outwit Kuroko’s stubbornness to not dine with him, and after thinking about it carefully since that morning, Akashi decided that he would have to bring Kuroko somewhere the omega could not run away, nor could he use the excuse ‘I already ate.’

While he did tell himself that he was not going to force Kuroko into anything, nothing was going to happen if Akashi was not going to make his intentions clear. He was going to make it up to Chiasa, he wanted to be involved and to be a part of her life, even if he was not sure if he would make a good father Akashi will try his best because he wanted to be one, but that was not all. Akashi also wanted Kuroko back.

Back in his arms, back in his life.

He should, in the very least, make that one thing clear.

His fingers drummed against his armrest and his eyes drifted down to his bottom drawer. Then with a defeated sigh, he bent down and pulled it open, snatching a stick of cigarette from the box he kept in there. His other hand fished out the lighter from his coat’s inside pocket. He could picture Midorima’s disapproving face.

There were still three more hours left before he had to leave. In the meantime, he was going to decide whether he should inform Kuroko that he was going to pick him up after his classes, or if he was just going to surprise him. Kuroko was certainly waiting for his text or call at that moment.

He picked his phone up again, remembering that he still had to thank Momoi for giving him Kuroko’s schedule.

* * *

“Kuroko-sensei.”

A tall shadow loomed over the papers Kuroko was tidying up. The bell had just rung, signaling dismissal time and the classroom he was in was nearly vacated, save for a few students in charge of cleaning up, himself, and the teen alpha standing on the other side of the teacher’s desk. Kuroko recognized him.

“Saito-san?” He asked, pausing from arranging the quiz papers in a neat pile. “Do you need something?”

“Not really.” The student smiled and before Kuroko could ask again, his hand was taken without warning. “I just wanna give you this.”

Kuroko blinked and stared at the bracelet that now decorated his wrist. There was a single charm that hung from it and Kuroko did not know what it was, if it had a meaning or it was an abstract form of art because all he could make out are meaningless spirals.

“My family went out of town last week and I bought you this bracelet.”

“Oh.”

“Pretty, ain’t it?” Saito smiled cheekily, hands resting on the table as he leaned forward. His voice dropped when he spoke again. “It suits you, sensei.”

Kuroko then tore his gaze away from the oddly shaped charm to stare straight up his student, Saito Kenji. The alpha was radiating with confidence like always. Saito was active in class; his hands were always up in the air even if Kuroko had no intentions of calling someone to recite, he always managed to make himself the center of attention with his jokes and at the same time his display of superiority. Such behavior was being exhibited now as Kuroko looked at him dead in the eye.

“Thank you, Saito-san, but I cannot accept this.” He said, his hand working to unhook the bracelet off his wrist but Saito stopped him. The smile on the alpha’s face was now strained. Kuroko knew he had to be careful with how he was going to deliver his words, because while he knew he could defend himself, had the capacity to combat Saito’s domineering scent, Kuroko was still a teacher and the alpha was his student.

“Why not?”

“I do not accept gifts from students.” He replied sternly, completely unfazed. The tension that generated from between them had caught the attention of the other students who were cleaning the room, and their presence weighed on Saito’s pride. Kuroko knew that there was no way the alpha was going to handle rejection with just a nod of his head when they had an audience. Kuroko was not in the mood for this.

“You’re really something aren’t you, sensei?” Saito straightened up and removed his hand from Kuroko’s but not before giving it a light squeeze, a wordless promise that it was not over yet. Kuroko was irked with the way he was being spoken to casually. “Anyway, I’m not taking it back. I bought it for you so you should keep it.”

It sounded like a command and if Kuroko had been weak, he would have simply nodded his head. Instead, he opened his mouth to try and get his point across, that he did not accept gifts from students most especially gifts like the bracelet, which he knew was for the purpose of making a mark on territory. It was what pissed him most. But before words flew past his lips, his alpha student turned away and was walking out towards the door with one last wave and a meaningful smile.

“See you tomorrow.” Was the last thing Kuroko heard. The tension that filled the air gradually dissipated and it was not until Kuroko shot the other students a blank look did they continue cleaning up.

“Don’t forget to lock the room when you leave.” He reminded and they all answered a ‘yes’ in unison.

Feeling the weight on his wrist, he quickly removed the bracelet. For some reason he felt suffocated from wearing it even if only for minutes. He kept it in his tight grip, wishing that he would somehow be able to crush it to dust. Kuroko let it slip down the pocket of his bag as soon as he reached the faculty room to fix his things and get ready to leave. He was not able to powderize it with his strength so he would have to return it to Saito the next day.

“Are you alright?” Kuroko turned his head towards the female voice.

“Yes, Kaede-sensei.”

“Are you sure?” She inquired, wrinkling her nose, and Kuroko smiled back with a nod of his head.

“I’m just a little tired. The students are a bit too energetic today, or maybe I’m growing old?”

“Old? You’re only twenty-five.” Kaede laughed. “If anyone’s old that would be me.”

The small talk made Kuroko feel at ease even if just a little. It still bothered him that he was left in the possession of the bracelet because somehow it made it look like he lost, and Kuroko was not fond of losing especially to simple things like this. He appeased himself with the thought that his talk with the alpha student was not really over yet and he was definitely going to give the gift back.  
For the meantime, as Kuroko tried to fit the quiz papers inside his satchel without crumpling the edges too much, he decided to worry about cooking dinner.

What was he going to cook this time? Was Akashi even going to be there tonight? He needed to know simply because he did not want to cook too much and leave leftovers (though that really was not an issue before. Kagami could eat the leftovers the following morning if Kuroko invited him). It was already past three, his classes were over, but his phone had remained quiet all throughout the day. Akashi, for the past days, never failed to inform Kuroko that he was coming. Yet now, Kuroko continued to wait for his phone to light up and vibrate as he tried to figure out how he was going to fit all the quiz papers inside his bag without crumpling the edges too much.

Disappointment slowly welled inside him when his phone remained lifeless as he bid his polite goodbyes. It continued to keep its silence as Kuroko walked down the stairs and hallways with loitering students. He was a turn away from the school building’s entrance when he accepted that he would be eating dinner with Chiasa tonight.

It was kind of a pleasing thought, because he missed having dinner with his daughter as Akashi came by every evening and Kuroko was adamant on not joining him on the table. He took comfort in being able to eat with Chiasa during breakfast instead. But then again, he could already see Chiasa’s disappointed face the moment she knew that her Papa could not make it to dinner today. Now Kuroko was not so sure if he wanted Akashi to come or not.

His phone vibrated then, cutting through his thoughts about wanting to actually see Akashi because just a glimpse was fine, if it was enough for Kuroko to know that Akashi was doing okay and was happy with their child.

Speaking of the devil, Akashi’s name shone brightly on his screen. Kuroko was halfway to bringing his phone on his ear when he noticed someone standing just a few meters from where he was, looking at him with an amused smile that Kuroko felt like slapping away with his palms.

Speaking of the devil, Akashi stood there and with the way Kuroko was being looked at, he could tell that Akashi had been there for quiet some time and was watching him since he emerged from the school building’s entrance.

Speaking of the devil, his heart began to weigh heavier from a mix of surprise and panic, because when he said he kind of wanted to see Akashi, he did not mean he kind of want to see the alpha now. He could wait for another few hours, really. He could wait until dinnertime.

His lips quivered, torn between frowning down and keeping a straight, unimpressed line. He pressed against the screen of his phone to end the call and made sure that Akashi saw it. The vibrating had stopped, and the ringing sounds that can be heard in Akashi’s own phone was gone. Kuroko stood in his place and watched as Akashi lowered his hand and kept his phone inside the safety of his pocket.

And then he was at a lost on what to do next. He ended the call because there was no reason to talk to Akashi through it and it would only appear stupid if he did try to remake a cliché scene from romantic comedies by answering it and holding conversation whilst meeting the other person on the end eye to eye. The both of them were hardly even the best characters to portray such a scene considering their background.

Kuroko let in shallow breaths when Akashi made the move to cut their distance shorter. Without the phone there was no other way to hear each other unless they both were willing to start a shouting contest.

“Akashi-kun,” He started, letting a certain edge in his voice that made Akashi aware of his displease for the sudden appearance. “What are you doing here?

“I came to pick you up.”

“You should have called first.”

“But I did.” Akashi answered as if he were an innocent child defending his righteous actions. “I did but you hung up.”

Kuroko could feel a vein popping in his head. He was not in the mood for this. He was not in the mood for Akashi’s smugness, which was professionally hidden under the worried look on his face as if he was afraid he might have done something bad to elicit such an annoyed reaction.

Staring straight into Akashi’s eyes, Kuroko figured that it was much easier to meet the alpha’s mismatched irises when his mood was sour. He could look without the unnecessary flipping his heart liked doing whenever Akashi was around, and there was also the desire the punch rather than desire to run in Akashi’s embrace.

“That doesn’t count. You should have called earlier.”

“Were you waiting?” Akashi asked without missing a beat and the question caught Kuroko off his guard. His lips parted, ready to retaliate but then words failed to come out from his mouth and therefore left Kuroko looking utterly loss for words. For all the time they barely spent together the past week, Kuroko could not fathom how Akashi could try to joke with him, could try to tease him like he always did before _(“Aren’t you tired of running in my mind all day long?” “Pick-up lines don’t suit you, Akashi-kun.”)_

Kuroko refused to provide Akashi the satisfaction of having cracked an emotion out of his stoic face. He quickly recovered, blinking twice as he sealed his lips back in a thin line. Akashi was watching him intently and the small smile seemed to provoke Kuroko. There was a silent wondering in the air of whether Kuroko was going to honor him an answer or not.

 _These alphas,_ he thought vexingly, _doing and saying whatever they want whenever they pleased._ Kuroko was tempted to throw the bracelet in his bag right at Akashi’s skull. The dangling, unidentifiable charm would be sure to cause at least a tiny bump on a person’s forehead.

He let a breath escape in time when he did answer Akashi’s supposed ignored questioned, and therefore when he said _‘yes I was waiting_ ’ he sounded a bit more resigned, a bit more needy than he intended to. Kuroko would have regretted letting his voice on the loose like that if it were not for the widening of Akashi’s eyes for a fraction. It was barely noticeable but the surprise was there. Not a lot of people can catch Akashi off his guard.

But before the alpha could say anything, could assume and make a move, Kuroko followed with, “I need to know how much to cook tonight. I hate wasting food.” Then it was Akashi’s turn to look somewhat sullen. The smile on his face had not dimmed however as Akashi opened his mouth to say something back, probably to continue teasing him.

Unfortunately for him, Kuroko decided that they had exchanged more words than necessary for the day. When he spoke again, cutting Akashi’s turn to speak, he harbored a business tone, sounding the way he did when he spoke to his students.

“Chiasa-chan will be dismissed at four.” There was a professional line drawn in between as he placed his words, reminding Akashi that they had no reason at all to continue dallying around with a play of words that Kuroko would very much like to avoid from happening again in the future.

Talking with Akashi was okay, it was fine, and Kuroko would even admit that it was nice, but it had to had its limits because yes he was waiting and yes he was secretly delighted to see Akashi when he already deemed he would not see an inch of his shadow that day, but if he meant to put a civil distance between them, a distance that will prevent another heartbreak that may dissolve the chances of Chiasa living a normal peaceful life, then Kuroko should know where the lines lay.

“We better get going then.” Akashi said after sighing. The disappointment of having their banter cut short rang and hung in the air as he turned his back.

Kuroko easily spotted the car parked across the road and another dilemma rose from the depths of his mind quietly as they neared.

“Akashi-kun.” He called softly, eyes glued on the vehicle and Akashi immediately caught on. Kuroko realized that Akashi must already have been expecting a protest. When the other turned to face him, he was flashed with a reassuring smile, although that was all the understanding that Kuroko got because it did not seem like Akashi would be deterred easily, if at all.

“I’m not letting you walk Tetsuya, if that’s what you’re thinking.” Akashi opened the door of the passenger seat but Kuroko remained standing, refusal flashing in his blue eyes and sealed lips. “It’s just a ten minute ride from here.” Akashi prodded.

Ten minutes, he said, and Kuroko tried to wrap around his head what can possibly happen within the ten minutes of being with Akashi in a closed space without an escape. What were the odds that he would not hyperventilate in a span of two minutes max?

Or maybe he was just thinking too much.

Kuroko was the first one to break eye contact. With a sigh, he accepted his defeat and Akashi was too happy to close the door after he was safely seated inside. The smell of leather seats and lemon air freshener hit him then, and there was a tinge of Akashi’s own musk lingering above the smells.

Kuroko kept his eyes glued on the outside, past the clear glass window in hopes of keeping the silence all throughout the ten-minute drive. It proved to be impossible however, when Akashi was already striking up a conversation with him the moment he was seated beside Kuroko on the driver’s seat, hands fiddling with the keys for a moment. The car engines came to life and took over the silence, and then there was Akashi’s voice.

“Buckle up.” The alpha said, pulling his own seatbelt down from his left. Flooded by his worries, his initial resolve to never face Akashi for the whole duration that he was in the car was quickly nullified when he whisked his head and a questioning sound resonated past his lips. The words somehow evaded his ears and comprehension, but when Akashi moved to lean towards him, it all suddenly clicked.

Kuroko twisted and threw himself to his side, hands grasping at the seatbelt like it was his sacred lifeline... well it sort of was depending on how good Akashi was behind the wheel.

“I-I can do it myself. Thank you.” His jerky movement stopped Akashi’s hand midway from going over and past Kuroko’s body, which could have landed them in a rather compromising position that Kuroko was definitely not ready for. He pulled on the belt rapidly and buckled up in one swift movement. The soft click signaled the freedom of his personal space.

Akashi regarded him for a second before pulling back. The amused smile not escaping past Kuroko’s sight before he turned his head to look outside the window again. As sceneries changed, turning into blurry glimpses as they picked up speed, Kuroko thought of ways to swipe of the damnable satisfied grin on Akashi’s face because Kuroko could not pinpoint what exactly was so amusing with his current situation.

* * *

Kurose-kun was absent today. _Good_. That was one less annoying child to bother Chiasa, not that she thought of Sakura-chan a nuisance. It was that there were times when her cheerfulness was just too much and her smile was blinding. And then there was the relentless onslaught of questions she was not too engrossed to answer.

“Chiasa-chaaan.” The beta kid drawled, shaking Chiasa’s shoulders in an attempt to coax an answer out of her. If she were not used to Kise-san’s antics she would already have ran away in seclusion, traumatized. “Tell meeee.”

“Stop it, Sakura-chan. You’re making me dizzy.” Chiasa said weakly but made no attempts to push the other girl away, knowing that her persistence will overpower her strength. If she had known—well, she should have known— that Sakura-chan would act this way, maybe she should not have mentioned about meeting ‘someone nice.’

It was all Kurose-kun’s fault, being just as much as nosey as Sakura-chan or maybe even more nosey than her beta friend. Another regret Chiasa had was to express doubts on his ‘strong alpha senses’ as what Kurose called it. Since then he had been obsessed with trying to figure out everyone’s moods and inner thoughts that she had to remind him that _no_ , mind reading was _not_ part of the package.

The day after her papa had dinner with her, Kurose shamelessly was all over her because she was, as he put it, too fragrant. Chiasa tried to ask him if he knew what ‘fragrant’ meant but was deliberately ignored in favor of trying to figure out the reason behind this fragrance of hers.

At the end of the day, he proudly announced that Chiasa was simply elated and beyond. Beyond what? She questioned but it fell on deaf ears as Kurose began demanding, this time for the reason why she was feeling so happy. Her refusal to give him an answer made him assume to the extent of horrific possibilities like _‘could it be that Chiasa-chan has a boyfriend!?’_

 _‘No.’_  
  
_‘A girlfriend, then?’_

_‘No.’_

She poked his eyes with two fingers and then gleefully escaped with Sakura, who left a trail of chiming laughter behind them.

And now it was her who was pestering Chiasa, insisting for the answers that Chiasa refused to give just because she did not feel like it, or more like she could not seem to bring the answer out of her mouth whenever she tried. It was not like she meant to hide anything from them.

“Chiasa-chaaaan.”

There were still a bunch of minutes to go before her mama arrived, and the clock seemed to have taken a slow pace the longer Sakura continued to whine. At least Kurose was not around. It was one less person to endure.

“It’s not a big deal.” Chiasa tried to deter her but to no avail, Sakura only became a tad more persistent with her useless method of interrogation. Feeling already dazed, Chiasa was beginning to consider telling her… if she could.

“Sakura-chan.” She halted the annoying shaking with her hands, small fingers carefully placed around Sakura-chan’s thin arms. Her face said nothing but she hoped that her tone was enough to catch the beta’s attention, making her listen to what she had to say, or would try to say. “A-actually, you see…”

Chiasa trailed and her eyes fell down on her lap as if she could search for the right words there. Sakura was now looking at her with realization and her eyes shone brighter with excitement and glee. The anticipation of Chiasa revealing what could possibly her super, duper secret made Sakura seal her lips shut, afraid that she might miss it because Chiasa-chan spoke really softly. Sakura could not imagine her omega friend shouting. Ever.

“You know…”

“Yes?”

“Uh,”

She did not know how to begin and Sakura was already close to pressing her entire face against Chiasa’s, pressuring her to speak up. But no matter where her eyes wandered, the right words never formed in her brain, never constructing a sensible thought, never giving her at least something to start on slowly. For all the times she had been called blunt and straightforward (mostly by Kise-san and Kurose-kun), Chiasa was a bit disappointed with herself for having trouble with something as simple as telling her friend she had met the greatest papa in the world.

That was why she was happy, why she was energized, why she raised her hand eagerly to answer the questions that the teacher asked. Chiasa met her papa and she was excited to go home and have dinner with him. There was nothing wrong with being happy about it, because even her mama was happy about seeing papa even if he always tried to hide it. Chiasa knew.

“Sakura-chan,” She said again, sighing and letting her shoulders slump. Her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. “Well you see, I,”

“Yes?”

“I…”

“Yeeeeeeees?” Sakura pressed and Chiasa took a deep breath.

“I met—”

“Chiasa-chan?” Another voice echoed down the hallway and interrupted Chiasa much to her relief and to Sakura’s dismay. Knowing whose voice it was, Chiasa grabbed her bag and bolted for the door with Sakura following closely behind.

“Mama!” She called as soon as she was out. Sakura bumped into her back when Chiasa abruptly stopped in the middle of the hallway. The quietness in their vacant classroom was replaced by the other children’s giggles and patters against the wooden floorboards, and then there was Sakura-chan’s delighted squeal because she was just as happy to see Chiasa’s mama for some reason.

Sakura’s voice was cut with a loud ‘ooof!’ when she collided with Chiasa’s back, sending Chiasa to tumble a bit forward but she was able to steady herself by the threshold. Normally, she would have jogged and met Kuroko halfway, happily welcoming herself in her mama’s open arms. But the sight of Akashi had her gaping still with Sakura-chan complaining behind her back about bumping her nose.

“P-p—”

What was he doing here? Her papa looked completely out of place or maybe it was just her, and it was also just the murmurs around them because Akashi was certainly a new face and he stood out with his striking red hair and costly suit. One look and you would not even dare classify him as a regular office employee. No. One look and you would say he had employees working under him. It was no question that his presence would cause to erupt curious chatters from children, parents, and kindergarten teachers alike.

Amidst the whirlpool of attention unwarrantedly gained, Akashi remained composed, standing behind Kuroko with a gentle smile sent towards her. He looked like he was used to always being the center of attention and could not care any less, a big bright contrast to her who absolutely had no idea what to do, and Kuroko who looked like he just wanted this to be over and done with before he crumbled into tiny pieces under those multiple stares.

“Chiasa-chan, who’s that?” Chiasa felt her friend nudge her side, poorly attempting to whisper in her ear.

“U-uh…” She trailed, not quite sure how to answer the question and she really wished that Sakura-chan could try to put two and two together. Chiasa stared at her mama for a silent plea of help, which Kuroko understood. He bent down and plastered his usual smile.

“Good afternoon, Sakura-chan. Is your mama not here yet?” He greeted, and Sakura became as animated as she was seconds ago.

“Nope!” She answered but any attempt at trying to divert her attention away from the man with red hair was thrown to the side when she asked, Kuroko this time, who the new face was. Chiasa wanted to shake Sakura the way she did to her before her parents arrived. “Kuroko-san,” another failed attempt at whispering. “who’s he?”

Kuroko stilled and his smile stiffened. He looked almost exactly like Chiasa, finding difficulty in saying something so simple. Chiasa and Kuroko’s eyes met again, silently asking each other for backup.

It was the growing question mark on Sakura’s face that made Akashi break his silence.

“Hello. Your name is Sakura?” The interruption of his voice made Kuroko and Chiasa freeze, their blue eyes showing obvious surprise and perhaps it was the first time that Sakura and the rest of the usual people in the kindergarten saw an emotion grace Kuroko's and Chiasa’s faces. There was an instantaneous hush all over the place. The mutters ceased, all movements ceased, giving way to hearing Akashi’s voice and observing his every movement as he stepped beside Kuroko and kneeled down.

Sakura nodded her head, debating whether she liked the attention or not. Akashi, for all the gentleness he tried to douse himself in, could not seem to get rid of his intimidating feat. Kuroko was giving him a worried glance because he was sure that Akashi was not so great with children.

“So you’re one of Chiasa’s friends.” He extended his hand for a business-like handshake and Sakura reluctantly accepted it, one small hand grasping merely on his fingers. “I’m pretty sure she mentioned another one.”

“T-that’s Kurose-kun. He’s absent today.”

“I see. Well in any case, it’s nice to meet you, Sakura.” The hand in her fingers felt warm, and Sakura supposed that this man with the red hair was not so scary after all. She was just beginning to relax and her smile was slowly inching up her face. It was then that Akashi answered the question that was pestering everyone’s heads. “My name is Akashi Seijurou. I’m Chiasa’s father.”

If all the talking had stopped the first time Akashi spoke, Chiasa swore that this time round, after dropping the bomb, even nature’s natural sounds were hushed into silence. The buzzing of the air-condition was gone, and even the sound of her rapid heart beat and intake of breathes were non-existent, swallowed under a veil of silent _‘what what what what’_

The next second came and passed, and the sounds returned all at once. She heard collective gasps followed immediately by whispers and really, Chiasa mused, if she was still hearing what the other parents were gossiping about then they should not have bothered whispering at all. Everyone seemed to have a problem with whispering today. Kuroko seemed to be thinking the same thing as he sighed, eyes dancing around them with resignation before turning to look back down at Chiasa.

“I suppose that’s our cue to leave?” He asked her but Chiasa need not be told. She was already clinging on Kuroko’s hand, direly wanting to disappear on the spot. This was a lot of attention, bound to raise more questions not from Sakura-chan alone although she could not think of anything else the others could ask her about. But she was sure there would be come Monday. “Akashi-kun.”

Akashi stood up, nodding his head while he smiled as if Kuroko’s voice did not sound edgy at all.

“Bye bye, Sakura-chan.” Kuroko was quick to slip on a gentle mask when he addressed the other child, who in turn could only nod her head, hazel eyes flicking back and forth between him and Akashi, and then settling finally at Chiasa’s face.

“See you on Monday, Chiasa-chan!”

“Y-yeah. See you.”

The red on her cheeks was another new sight that Sakura took note of. She wished Monday would come faster so she could tell all this to Kurose-kun and make him regret for catching a cold.

It was a spectacle to watch Kuroko Tetsuya’s hand against Akashi’s back, head lowered down as he pushed the alpha out towards where they came in to add speed in his obviously dallying footsteps. Chiasa looked like she wanted to disappear and her tiny legs put on so much effort in trying to keep up with the adults’ pace, if not surpass it. Her homeroom teacher was briefly greeted with a smile and a nod from Kuroko when normally they would exchange a few words. When Akashi made a move to pause, he was shoved forward with added force until they made it outside.

Ten minutes ago, Kuroko was strongly against hopping inside the car. Now, Akashi stood idly as Kuroko impatiently waited for him to unlock the doors. There were voices behind him. It seemed that the chatters had followed them and both Kuroko and Chiasa turned their backs against the unwanted attention. If they had to stare at the car until sunset they would. If they could change the color of their skin to red they would just to blend in with the car’s color.

What a pair they made, and Akashi would never have it any other way.

His presence behind Kuroko’s back suddenly became a blessing for the omega. A soft click was heard and the car’s lights blinked twice. Akashi first assisted Chiasa before opening the door for Kuroko, but then when he closed Chiasa’s door, Kuroko was already secured on the passengers seat with his seatbelt tightly fastened.

Akashi sighed. He had hoped that he would get to buckle Kuroko up this time especially that the omega was preoccupied with trying to calm his flaming cheeks down.

“I didn’t expect to harness that much attention.” Akashi said as soon as he himself was safely seated beside Kuroko, who now looked at little bit relieved and comfortable enough to give him an accusing glare from the corner of his eyes. Akashi remained unfazed as he started the car.

“They’ve never seen you before.”

“So? A new face would inevitably pop up once in a while.” Akashi shrugged.

“You don’t understand.” Kuroko muttered under his breath and the air around him changed, alarming Akashi. But just like those other times, the troubled scent Kuroko had faded away as he sighed and relaxed back against his seat. “Just drive please, Akashi-kun. I still have to cook dinner.”

Akashi glanced at Chiasa’s reflection on the rear mirror and saw her fiddling with her thumbs. He decided not to press on the matter. The engines hummed and the tires screeched against the rubble on the road as they took off.

“Ah, about dinner,” He said, gaining Kuroko’s attention and pulling his thoughts away momentarily away from what had transpired at the kindergarten. “you won’t be needing to cook tonight. I made reservations.”

He saw Chiasa at the mirror again, looking at him now with interest. Whatever shyness she had was casted off and Akashi congratulated himself. His two omegas did not look too troubled now… well, a little different in Kuroko’s case. He looked slightly panicked but not frightened enough to jump out the moving car.

“Uh, you can just drop me at home then.” He said quietly but Akashi was having none of that.

“But I made reservations for three, Tetsuya. We’ll have dinner at a really nice restaurant. And I haven’t forgotten about ice cream day. They serve the best ice creams there.” Akashi took a quick glance at Chiasa and he caught her smiling. “What do you say, Chiasa?”

“Mama, let’s go!” She beamed. Akashi found her smile extremely rewarding. At the sound of her ecstatic voice, Kuroko knew it was, yet again, his loss.

“That’s cheating.” Kuroko looked devastated and somewhat betrayed, because there was no way he was going to say ‘no’ now after seeing Chiasa’s glee. And there was also no way he was going to ruin the fine, on-going streak that Akashi had with her by ruining her day. “And this is kidnapping, Akashi-kun.”

“How exactly?”

“I’m being taken against my will.” Kuroko declared. “I’m calling the cops.”

Akashi raised a brow and said nothing, while Chiasa was trying to peer over Kuroko’s seat at the mention of ‘cops.’ It amazed Akashi that she did not look like the slightest bit worried when most children would freak out in fear of being imprisoned, no matter how much you explained to them that they were too young to be sent to jail.

He decided to trust her daughter’s reaction, not that he would be completely helpless should Kuroko be actually trying to contact the police. Akashi had his connections and could probably make the entire police force to bow down to him with just one word.

But he did worry just the tiniest bit though, when Kuroko brought his phone to his ear and the ringing of the line ceased.

_“Hello?”_

“Aomine-kun,” Kuroko said with an alarmingly serious tone. “I am being kidnapped.”

Akashi bit down a laugh. He had a feeling that the evening would go well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Akashi's smoking again nooooo asdjlaskjsadj


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You know, I can write poems for you again, and I can do it everyday, if you’ll let me.”

Chiasa was not really sure what to make of the situation. 

Her parents had been jumping from one mood setting to another since Aomine disconnected the call with a frustrated cry and she really could not blame him. She knew that Aomine-san took hers and Kuroko’s safety with grave seriousness (and with really good reason) and being told of their not-really-an-abduction was not the best joke her mama could offer, much less Akashi casually mentioning a private army. Chiasa was not really sure if her papa was telling the truth (but she had a feeling that he was). 

The fun ended (fun ,yes, she would have to admit that Aomine’s reactions were quite fun to hear despite everything, all vulgarities that were too, well, vulgar for her innocent ears, included) as soon as the line went dead. They were all too soon taken over by a cloud of awkward silence. Akashi’s attempt to make light conversation and Kuroko’s refusal to give an answer that exceeded three words did not make things any better. 

Well sometimes Kuroko snapped, and it would appear as if they would start bickering, but then something would seem to suddenly hit them, as if stopping them from continuing their way down that merry path. It was not clear to Chiasa the reason why the two seemed to be holding something back.

But in the very least, to appease her worries was the complete absence of animosity between the two. Akashi had his eyebrows scrunched together and Kuroko had stubbornly glued himself as close to the door as possible it looked like he wanted to be a car door himself, away from the alpha, but there were no traces of anger, not a hint of underlying hatred. For Chiasa, who was also still trying her best to adjust and understand, it was enough. Just because they were adults did not mean that they were any better than her in trying to deal with _this._  

Things were slowly changing and it started ever since their family of two became a family of three, although she really cannot say that with confidence just yet. 

“We’re here.” Akashi’s voice broke through her thoughts and only then did Chiasa notice the car engines had stopped. Familiar surroundings greeted her when she looked out the window, a place where Kise-san and Momoi-san often brought her when they needed to burn their money the day after payday. 

“Satsuki told me you frequent this place.” Akashi explained with a small smile on his face before either omega could question. “It’s too early to have dinner yet so I suppose we could kill time here.” Unbuckling his seatbelt, he then turned to fully look at her. “Well, she also mentioned that there’s a pet store here you love to go to?” 

And at that, her eyes widened considerably, probably shimmering with glee, and her fingers curled against her palms from contained excitement. Akashi chuckled at her reaction and while she proceeded to fumble over the seatbelt keeping her in place, she failed to see her papa raising his eyebrows at Kuroko as if he was innocently wondering why the omega was frowning. 

“You cheat.” Kuroko mouthed and Akashi shrugged his shoulders. 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Akashi answered back before getting out of the car.

Cue Kuroko quickly removing his seatbelt and opening the door before Akashi could for him. Chiasa silently observed everything from the backseat, catching the two again jump from one mood to another, and while it was honestly confusing she found herself smiling. 

Akashi opened the door for her right after she managed to remove the seatbelt on her own. He helped her get down, offering a hand which she took without really thinking, and Chiasa expected him to let go after that but Akashi did not. He adjusted his grip and held her properly. 

And Chiasa stared, eyes a little wide and lips pursed, she stared at the hand that Akashi held. It felt different. It felt a little warmer, much firmer than the way Kise, Momoi, Kagami, or even her own mama would hold her. 

She felt Kuroko touch her other hand, taking it in his, and she turned to look at him. Kuroko’s grip indeed was gentler and his hand was a little colder. 

They walked, the three of them, with a flustered and quiet Chiasa in between Akashi and Kuroko, and they looked like they’ve always been doing this before, like those other families she often saw at the mall or someplace else. 

They held each of her hand the whole time, not one of them even thinking about letting go.

* * *

“So animals aren’t allowed at your apartment?” Akashi asked, eyes never straying away from Chiasa who has her nose glued against the glass wall separating him from probably one of the God’s greatest gift to mankind— a puppy. “I can remedy that—” 

“Please don’t.” Kuroko quickly interrupted. “If you’re planning to bribe the landlady, please don’t.” 

“Oh but that’s not what I had in mind.” He grinned and tilted his head to look at Kuroko. “I was planning to buy the whole build—” 

“That’s worse.” The omega’s eyes twitched in disbelief. “Just don’t do anything, Akashi-kun.”

“Whatever you say, Tetsuya.”

Kuroko sent him one last warning glance before returning his gaze back at Chiasa, and Akashi did the same. 

Although his eyes quickly returned to watching Kuroko in silence. They were close, not close enough to bump shoulders but close enough for him to reach out and hold the omega’s hand. He felt the familiar twitch of his fingers, the tightening of his jaw from the effort of restraining himself. Akashi closed his eyes for a few seconds, breathing in deep, trying his best to ignore the allure of Kuroko’s sweet scent, and he could not help but wish with all his might for the time when he could openly intertwine his fingers with the other. 

“Kise-kun once offered to take care of a puppy for her,” Kuroko broke the silence first, to Akashi’s surprise, and he saw how Kuroko’s gaze considerably softened from the look he gave Akashi seconds ago. “but they already have a cat so it wouldn’t work.” 

“Ryouta is very much like a dog himself already.” 

“There’s that as well.” A tiny smile formed on Kuroko’s lips. “Momoi-san volunteered but she’s always away because of her work. There’s Midorima-kun’s house, but Takao-kun is allergic to dogs. Murasakibara-kun is too lazy and Kagami-kun is afraid of dogs.” 

Akashi raised a brow at the mention of Kagami’s name but decided not to say anything, much less show any hint that hearing about the beta put him off a bit. He never really got to like Kagami Taiga. Akashi was careful not to say that out loud especially that Kuroko just started a conversation with him. 

It seemed that when it came to their daughter, Kuroko easily lightened up, even to him. 

“Then, how about me?” He offered and Kuroko looked at him, a little surprised but then he immediately shook his head.

“You’re too busy to be taking care of pets, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko answered. “Besides, it wouldn’t really mean anything if Chiasa can’t be with her puppy most of the time.” 

Akashi felt a little disappointed to be rejected. Truth be told, he had hoped that Kuroko would take on the offer, carelessly saying yes or not, with Chiasa in mind. He had to admit that while he also truly wanted to get Chiasa her own puppy, he offered to take care of it thinking that he might be able to hop on another stepping stone towards Kuroko’s closed heart by having the omega comfortable around his home with the puppy’s help.

As if Kuroko would gladly step in Akashi’s abode just like that. He should have known. Maybe he was unconsciously trying to rush things and well, Akashi was not exactly a person of patience. 

He was about to tell Kuroko to reconsider but was interrupted by a bark, which made him turn his attention back to where Chiasa was. The puppy she had been looking at was now cradled in one of the staff’s arms, brought down to her level so she could card her fingers through its fur. 

The corners of her eyes were crinkled and it was perhaps the first time that Akashi had seen her smile as brightly as that, so different from the tiny ones she often wore, and it was at that moment that he had decided that one day, perhaps really soon, he was going to buy her a puppy and the four of them would live happily together in a big house with enough backyard space where Chiasa and their put can run freely.

It was going to be a rough start and the path would be edgy, but it was not an impossible dream.

Too captivated by the sight of her glee, he did not notice Kuroko observing him from the corner of his eyes. When Akashi did feel his gaze, he turned a second too late and Kuroko was already crouching down, ready to welcome a cheerful Chiasa who was running towards them. He was forced to dismiss it as his imagination. 

“Mama!” Chiasa beamed. “The lady allowed me to touch the puppy!”

She opened her palms and showed them to Kuroko as if there was something magical about them, and it seemed that she truly believed they were. Akashi, for a few moments, faded in the background, contented to watch the two converse, for Chiasa to become so animated like any other children. Somehow, it felt as if there was an invisible barrier that separated him from them, and he felt it likely so when Chiasa turned to Akashi to flaunt her puppy-blessed hands only to stop midway in her excited gestures. 

Since they started interacting with each other, Chiasa always kept herself in-check and she always consciously held back. It was saddening, but Akashi understood and he could only shake his head at himself. There were still a lot to be done. If there was someone who should make adjustments, if there was someone who should take the first step, that would be no other than him. 

Such was the purpose of this little ‘bonding time’ if he would dare call it, after all.

“So you’re more of a dog person.” He began, smiling his kindest smile or so he hoped. “Is it because you always play with Ryouta?”

 Somewhere, Kise choked on his own saliva. Kuroko gave Akashi a rather peculiar look, as if he cannot quite decide if he just insulted Kise for the poor attempt of a joke for the sake of getting on Chiasa’s good side, or if he really did mean what he said. Whatever the reason, it was, in the very least, Akashi was able to crack a shy smile on Chiasa’s face. 

“Kise-san really is like a puppy.” She said, head still turned down and she fiddled with her fingers, but there was a hint of laughter in her voice. “But it’s not because of Kise-san. It’s because dogs are huggable and they’re always happy when they see you,” Chiasa listed, her pinky and ring finger held up. She was silent for a while, thinking of more reasons. “and dogs are loyal and they stay with you, and... dogs are always happy so when you’re sad, they can be happy for you instead!” 

She concluded with a cheerful tone, her head raised and her eyes squinted from happiness. Chiasa said it all with the charm of a child’s innocence. Maybe there was no meaning behind her words, maybe there were no painful backstories that made her say that, maybe it was an innocent, unconscious response to some pent up emotions she had been hiding this whole time, or maybe such was not the case. They were words so pure and free of malice, but it struck a chord in both Akashi and Kuroko. 

From the corner of his eyes, Akashi saw Kuroko’s fingers curl against his palm albeit keeping the same exact expression on his face with practiced ease. 

Akashi caught himself with Chiasa standing before him as enough of a reminder that the worst thing he could do was ruin her day by showing how affected he was.

“Then,” He said as he clasped his hands. “shall we get you one?” 

“Eh? B-but dogs aren’t allowed in our apartment.” Chiasa wore a mixture of a worried and conflicted face. That also got Kuroko’s attention and was now looking at Akashi with the same expression.

 _How much more can they look so alike?_ The alpha thought to himself.

“I know.” He said, smiling knowingly and offered one hand for Chiasa to hold on to. It was of course, stared at for a stretch of seconds until she put her tiny hand in his hold with the help of Kuroko’s gently push on her back. 

As expected, her cheeks flared up with a brighter shade of red but Akashi knew that it was okay, everything was okay, because despite it all he knew that she was still shy but not at all uncomfortable. Kuroko was eyeing him skeptically though. 

“Don’t worry, Tetsuya. I’m not planning to bribe anyone—” 

“Nor to buy the whole lot.” Kuroko added for good measure, and Akashi nodded his head. 

“Nor to buy the whole lot.” He repeated with a laugh. “Shall we go?” 

With a promising grin, he led the two wondering omegas wordlessly towards the first toy store they spotted and bought Chiasa a stuffed Husky that was about twice her size.

Kuroko was not even given a chance to stop him and say that it was a bit too much, not that he was complaining, really.

* * *

Chiasa had to sit and watch her parents jump between moods again.

“The spring rolls are enough for me, Akashi-kun.” 

“They’re not, Tetsuya, and that’s not you what you want.” 

“Yes it is.” 

“It’s not.” 

The two were silent for a moment as they stared at each other, but Kuroko eventually had to give up and look away. Akashi’s eyes were piercing through him. However that did no mean that he had given up with his choice of food for dinner. 

“I like spring rolls.” Kuroko said under his breath, a stubborn effort despite his instincts screaming at him to just back down because, as much as he did not want to admit it, Akashi was right. Chiasa was starting to get nervous for Kuroko as Akashi’s eyes narrowed. 

“Yes you do, but not right now.” Akashi answered back, leaning against his chair with an exasperated sigh. “That’s not nearly enough, Tetsuya, and you’d do good with a little more meat; You’re _craving_ meat. Your body is low on protein.” 

Another round of silence, with Kuroko’s thumbs fiddling on his lap and Akashi patiently waiting for Kuroko to admit that he was right, as always. Chiasa hid her face behind the menu, also waiting for her mama to give in. She could not quite get why Kuroko was being defiant and why Akashi was being a little pushy. 

After a minute was up, Kuroko’s shoulders slumped, defeated. 

“What do you suggest then?” He asked meekly, slightly pissed that he had to concede, and the smile was back on Akashi’s face. When the alpha pointed at a picture of a steak meal on the menu, Kuroko immediately felt the waves of hunger though he refused to show it on his face. Akashi was watching his expression carefully. “That’s too much. I don’t think I can finish—” 

“I’ll eat your leftovers.” Akashi quickly said and as he expected, Kuroko had gone stiff and his cheeks quickly were dusted with a cute blush. Beside him, Chiasa reacted the same way, although she was able to quickly hide her face behind the menu she was holding before Akashi could notice. 

“Please don’t say such embarrassing things, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko said without meeting Akashi’s eyes as he pushed the menu towards the alpha, who only laughed in response. 

Chiasa was simply relieved that the tension died down, yet unfortunately they were back with the same mood setting when they were in the car still. Kuroko was trying in vain to blend in the background and go unnoticed. Chiasa wanted to tell him that it was never going to work because Akashi was just sitting right in front of them within an arm’s length. 

“Have you decided what to order, Chiasa?” Suddenly being addressed by Akashi, Chiasa was taken by surprise, panic immediately following. She had not decided yet, to be honest, and after seeing her mama defeated with just one look from Akashi (Midorima-san and Aomine-san never was able to make her mama back down, well at least, not that fast, never with one look), she was certain she did not want to be the receiving end of that piercing gaze. 

“I—” She started but her eyes cannot seem to focus on anything. There were too many pictures and words, some were even unfamiliar to her. When she finally settled on one, however, she hesitated because it looked simple. But the more she stared at the picture, the more she felt hunger striking her. 

“You’ve decided?” Akashi asked, his tone gentle but it still made Chiasa flinch. 

“Don’t pressure her.” Kuroko frowned.

“I’m not.” Akashi snickered. “It’s just that she seemed to have her eyes glued on something.” Then he turned back to her, eyes void of the fearsome look but all the same, it still felt like Akashi was looking through her, like she was transparent. “I see.” He said after a while with a resigned sigh. 

It did not seem like it was possible, but his demeanor suddenly changed the next second as he leaned away from the table and held his back flat against his chair. It felt like Akashi had taken a step back, like he just let go of something or rather, like he gave way. The atmosphere around him suggested such and Chiasa was left confused for a moment, but she was not going to complain. After Akashi leaned away, she felt a little lighter. 

Akashi nodded at Kuroko, and Kuroko nodded back. 

“Chiasa-chan,” Her mama poked her shoulder. “did you see something you want?” 

She pointed then, without hesitation and Kuroko smiled. 

“She wants the spaghetti, Akashi-kun.” He told the alpha without missing a beat, and before Chiasa could closer her eyes, afraid of Akashi’s scolding (unlike Kuroko who stubbornly held on somehow, Chiasa was sure if Akashi frowned at her she was going to cry), her papa smiled, really pleased for some reason, and Chiasa was beyond relieved. 

She felt Kuroko nudge her on the side while Akashi was busy telling their orders to the waitress, and she saw the familiar reassuring look on Kuroko’s face that never failed to calm her down. A smile was all she needed, Kuroko never really had to say anything most of the time for Chiasa to know that all was fine. Perhaps she was getting scared of the image of Akashi that her paranoid mind created, because looking at her papa again, and remembering the little moments he already had with her, she could not find a single reason to be frightened of him.

Perhaps, she was just afraid she’d mess up and be a disappointment, and to think she was just ordering meatball spaghetti. Thinking about it carefully, Chiasa realized it was ridiculous and she had been fretting over nothing. 

Embarrassed, she closed her eyes and hid her face behind her hands. She did not see Akashi and Kuroko watching her with matching smiles. 

When their orders arrived and Kuroko’s food was placed in front of him, his eyes lit up and his stomach rumbled, just loud enough for only the three of them to hear. It was embarrassing. Even Chiasa was embarrassed for him but she was not able to stop a giggle. 

“I told you.” Akashi said, smug, and Kuroko rolled his eyes without saying anything back.

And then, so it seemed that they were back to square one, where Kuroko was trying to become invisible and kept deflecting Akashi’s attempts at making proper conversation. His stubbornness won over Akashi’s persistence this time, and the alpha carried on without addressing Kuroko frequently. But there was a kind of a mischievous glimmer in his mismatched eyes, which Chiasa slowly came to understand as they continued to talk. 

Akashi began recounting Kuroko’s embarrassing student life. 

“There was one time when our class picture was taken and the photographer got spooked to see Tetsuya in the picture.” Akashi said, too eager to share and Chiasa had to agree that it was funny. Kuroko on the other hand did not seem too happy to remember, but under Akashi’s watch, he did not dare comment and so Akashi continued. “Apparently, he did not notice your mama when he was taking it.” 

By this time, Chiasa was aware of Kuroko’s micro reactions to Akashi’s stories, like his eyes twitching, brows furrowing a little, lips forming a frown that was barely noticeable, fingers tightening around the knife’s handle, teeth clenching. 

Akashi went on, patiently waiting for Kuroko to snap. Chiasa felt a tad guilty for laughing but she could not help it.

“I caught him standing outside of a store once.” 

Kuroko openly glared at Akashi this time, a silent threat but it was not like the other would be fazed especially now that it seemed like Kuroko was finally going to break his silence. 

“He was standing there for a long time.” 

The omega’s eyes narrowed. 

“Because the automatic doors wouldn’t open.”

“Why?” Chiasa asked, more curious than scared of Kuroko’s sudden mood change. 

“Well,” Akashi sounded like he was trying to stop himself from laughing. “the censors can’t detect him—”

“That’s not true.” Kuroko’s voice finally surfaced. To hell with Akashi’s triumphant smirk. “You know that’s not true, Akashi-kun. The censors were broken.” 

“But it is true that you stood still outside the store for twenty minutes.” 

“Isn’t it a lot more embarrassing that you stalked me?” 

“For good reason.”

“You were hiding behind a lamp post.” Kuroko pointed out. “You, the great Akashi Seijurou, were hiding behind a lamp post.”

“As I said, for good reason, and must you know I am not embarrassed about that at all. ” 

“Right. When were you even embarrassed about anything?” 

“That one time I sneezed and Tetsuya called me cute.” 

Kuroko turned rigid, caught off guard. The memory was one of those he held close to his heart. Kuroko did not have to spend time trying to recall it because he remembered it well. It was one of those passing moments that proved Akashi can just be as ordinary as everyone else, that Akashi could also get sick and have snot trailing out of his nose. 

He dropped his gaze and stared down at his food, slicing the steak as a distraction but it only made him realize that he was already full. 

Chiasa, who had been enjoying their banter, was once again left confused and worried at Kuroko falling silent. But before she could tug at Kuroko’s sleeve, Akashi spoke. 

“I’ll finish that for you.” 

Kuroko stopped his movements. The meat had been cute into cubes. Part of him felt thankful for Akashi’s offer, yet another part made him anxious. He crossed the line he decidedly had drawn between him and Akashi without realizing it so now he wanted to take a step back, but Akashi was having none of it. 

The protest died before it even came out as Akashi took his plate.

Kuroko and Chiasa watched Akashi with wide eyes as he cleared the plate. They were not really trying to hide their surprise, and Akashi found it funny why they still actually were surprised because he already did say beforehand that he was going to eat what Kuroko would not be able to finish.

He paused in the middle of putting food in his mouth and asked the two across him, “Would you like some ice cream while waiting for me to finish?” 

Chiasa blinked out of her stupor and nodded her head while Kuroko looked away, again. He did not give Akashi an answer. It was of course correctly interpreted by Akashi as a ‘yes.’ 

He chuckled and ordered them both the best sellers.

* * *

 Kuroko felt drained.  

It had been a roller coaster ride for him, what with trying to watch the way he spoke and acted around Akashi while trying to not Chiasa know that he was drawing a boundary between him and said alpha. 

They were on their way home, _thank god_. The ride back was calming, a well deserved break if Kuroko must say. Akashi’s onslaught of questions simmered down and so were his stories about Kuroko because Chiasa had fallen asleep at the back of the car almost immediately, cuddled with the stuffed dog that Akashi bought. The silence they shared was comfortably filled in by murmurs from the radio. 

It did not take long until busy highways changed into the familiar streets that welcomed Kuroko every morning. He perked up when he saw their apartment complex, lights coming out of some windows. 

“We’re here.” Akashi announced for the sake of breaking the silence between them, and Kuroko turned around to see if Chiasa was still asleep before he started unbuckling his seatbelt. As he did, Akashi was quick to step out the car and jog to Kuroko’s side. 

When Kuroko was about to reach for the handle, Akashi was already there and the door was opened for him. 

“T-thank you.” He muttered. 

“You’re welcome.” Akashi answered. “I finally get to open the door for you.”

“You didn’t have to.”

“I want to.” 

Kuroko pursed his lips and avoided Akashi’s eyes, not wanting to be caught in it. He made a move to get Chiasa but Akashi caught his arm. 

“I’ll carry her upstairs.” He said, and before Kuroko could say that he could manage it, Akashi made himself clear. “I want to carry her upstairs.” 

Kuroko did not have anything to say to that but Akashi’s determination made him smile as he nodded his head. Akashi looked gratefully at him that Kuroko wanted to tell him he did not have to ask for permission, really, because that was how Akashi looked at him. Like Kuroko had the final say to all things concerning Chiasa.

He watched silently and was almost amazed to see Akashi position their daughter behind his back with utmost care, afraid to disrupt her sleep. Chiasa’s slightest movements made Akashi pause and patiently wait until he was sure it was okay to move again. 

The first failed attempt at securing Chiasa on Akashi’s back as she slid to the side, Kuroko did not hesitate to assist. He guided Chiasa’s arms around Akashi’s neck, and as soon as her one arm was looped around, the other followed automatically by instinct. Akashi felt Chiasa burying her face on his collar and her arms tightened a bit more into a comfortable hug.

Kuroko did not fail to miss the warm glow of happiness in Akashi’s eyes. It was hard not to notice, in fact. He pushed the car door close behind them, seeing that Akashi would be unable to do it. Chiasa's stuffed dog was cradled in his arms.

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

They went upstairs with the sound of their footsteps keeping them company in place of their voices. Chiasa’s legs dangled from Akashi’s side with each flight. At one point, her shoe slid off, tumbling down but not far enough for Kuroko to reach without much fuss. Akashi waited for him at the top and when Kuroko made it back, he removed Chiasa’s other shoe and proceeded to hook the pair on her fingers, as they made it back to their unit. 

Once inside, Akashi let Kuroko lead him towards the bedroom. When the door was opened, a flurry of overwhelming sweetness greeted his senses that he had to pause by the threshold. It was in the bedroom where the scent was strongest it almost lulled Akashi to his knees, tempting him to lie down on the bed and fall into deep, comfortable slumber. 

Resisting the urge to close his eyes and sniff the air for more, he marched forward before Kuroko grew aware of his reaction. 

“Here is fine.” Kuroko said, lifting the thick blankets up then helping Akashi transfer Chiasa from his back to the mattress. Her arms posed a little challenge when they refused to untangle from Akashi’s body that Kuroko had to bait them with the stuffed animal as a replacement. 

“She’s a heavy sleeper, isn’t she?” Akashi mused as Kuroko pulled the covers up to her neck until her face is the only one left for display. “Just like you.” 

“You mean, just like _you._ ” Kuroko stood up and smiled when Akashi snorted.

“It’s because I’m always tired.” 

“I know.” Kuroko walked over towards the door, hand hovering over the light switch. “So I suppose you should also go and take a rest now too, Akashi-kun.” 

“I’m not at all tired yet, to be honest, but okay.” Akashi sighed, turning around to walk out the room but not before one last glance at Chiasa over his shoulder. Kuroko closed the door behind them. “You should rest too, Tetsuya.” 

“I will.” Kuroko promised. He truthfully was tired and his eyelids had noticeably gone heavier. 

He said nothing more to Akashi as he slowly led the way out, ignoring the stare he could feel boring through his back. Kuroko kept going, it was all just a few steps since their home was not quite big. He did not notice Akashi stopping by the table on the living room, attention drawn by a book he held that was Kuroko’s. 

“You still love reading poems?” Kuroko turned, only then finding out that Akashi was not behind him. Before he could answer yes, Akashi continued, “I remember writing poems for you before.” 

Kuroko’s breath hitched. 

“Yeah.” He muttered, not really caring if he was heard. It was all he could say. 

Akashi browsed through the pages.

“You know, I can write poems for you again, and I can do it everyday, if you’ll let me.”

Kuroko’s heartbeat was pacing up. Akashi placed the book back on the table and turned to meet Kuroko’s eyes. He failed to respond. Nothing was coming to mind. He did not even know if he actually had to reply.

“Tetsuya, will you hear me out?” 

He pursed his lips and tried to look away, probably for the umpteenth time that evening, but he already had been captured by Akashi’s eyes. Kuroko could not look anywhere else and as Akashi came to approach him, his legs moved back on their own until his body touched the door.

Akashi stopped and stood right in front of him, close enough to invade Kuroko’s senses, blocking out everything else and fixing all attention solely on the alpha’s presence, but in no way making Kuroko feel like he was trapped and helpless against him. 

“I want to make it up to you.” Akashi’s fists clenched. The need to touch Kuroko was nagging at him but he kept his hands to himself despite. He shook his head. “No, it’s not that. I didn’t lack anything. I can’t lack anything because I never gave anything in the first place.” Akashi said, solemnly. His eyes clouded with remorse and self-hatred, and Kuroko kept silent, unable to produce a single sound. “And I regret that.” 

But the omega was observing the slightest change in Akashi— his scent, the timber of his voice, the look in his eyes. He braced himself when Akashi sucked a breath in. 

“Tetsuya, I want to earn you back. _I want you back._ And this time, I am not going to hold back, I will give you _everything_. My time, my life, and I will love you _better,_ everyday. Every. Single. Day. Every minute and every hour—” Akashi paused, calming down, “if you’ll let me. _Please let me._ It’s a selfish request, but the years I’ve been apart from you made me realize how utterly stupid I am for letting go of the person who has learned to love me even if I don’t deserve it.” Akashi’s voice faltered. “And I know I don’t deserve it, you and our daughter, even now but I vow to work for it every second of my life until I do.” 

“Akashi-kun—”

“ _I love you._ ” 

He sounded broken, desperate, it hurt Kuroko terribly. 

“I never said it before. I’m saying it now.” Akashi breathed in, Kuroko’s scent doing wonders to his sorry state. “I love you, Tetsuya. Please let me love you more.” 

Kuroko was stunned. He was not panicking unlike he expected himself to be, nor was he nervous or scared in any way, but he was shocked at the words the flowed past Akashi’s lips enough to render him speechless. His mind reeling and he could hear his own heart beat in his ears. 

What Akashi said, however, he understood as clear as day, felt the tremor of the alpha’s emotions deep within himself. But he knew what he had to do. His body was screaming for him to move and without the usual nagging of his brain that always told him to strengthen his walls, he let his body move on instinct. His hand reached for Akashi’s, fingertips grazing skin. 

Kuroko knew what he had to do and he knew what he had to say, what his heart _wanted_ to say. 

“Okay.” He muttered and he could feel Akashi’s surprise. “Okay.” Kuroko repeated.

It took a few seconds for it to sink in and when it did, Akashi encased Kuroko’s hand in his, thumb rubbing over its back, feeling its warmth. 

“ _Thank you._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so they were supposed to hug in the end but I thought, nah you have to work for that hug bakashi restrain yourself


	12. Chapter 12

Akashi was used to being stared, given who he was it. Most people followed his figure with awe and wonder, admiration and envy. He received these stares everyday, from normal people to his staff who somehow mastered the art of stealing long periods of glances before he could turn and address them to get back to work with just one look. 

However, in the recent days that passed, he sensed a change in the way his staff looked at him. Their eyes contained a new kind of glimmer, that of curiosity hinted with surprise Akashi soon recognized. It did not really take him long to find out the reason why people craned their necks for as long as they could stretch them before Akashi disappeared from their field of vision. After all, he was not deaf and the whispers behind his back were actually too loud to even be considered a whisper that Akashi had to wonder if his employees were doing it on purpose or if they even bothered trying to be discreet. 

“ _Oh! He’s in a good mood again!_ ” Someone from behind the reception desk excitedly chirped as if Akashi being in a ‘good mood’ was some sort of miracle. As far as he was concerned, it was not everyday that he came in the office looking like he was ready to commit mass murder so he could not fathom what exactly was him being in a good mood made it gossip worthy.

Well, he had an idea. Even so, Akashi was sure he had not expressed and hatred for humanity for everyone to act surprised at the idea of him having a _special someone_ that could put him in a good enough mood to not snap at them. 

Regardless, he gave them a quick glance just for them to know that he could actually hear them and as expected, all five behind the counter froze and immediately ducked their heads. Satisfied and without real intention to reprimand them for their behavior, Akashi left them at that with nothing betraying the neutral look on his face. 

He waited until he was alone behind the elevator doors before he allowed a tiny smile to break through his all serious, business façade. 

Chiasa looked so cute that morning when Akashi came to pick her and Kuroko up. Her hair was tied in pigtails with checkered ribbons that matched her dress, and when Akashi talked to her, all he got was a still half asleep morning greeting. All the while, Kuroko was fighting terribly to stop the consecutive yawns escaping his mouth, which he covered with his hands every time. Akashi could not blame them though. It was he who suggested watching a movie after all. But one movie turned to two movies, and two turned to three upon Chiasa’s insistence, and both he and Kuroko weren’t heartless to deny her _just one more_ movie before they all called it a night—

They called it a night at one in the morning with Chiasa asleep on Akashi’s lap, head wobbling against his chest, and a half asleep Kuroko sitting on the other side of the couch, mindful to still keep his distance from Akashi. Although he did not recoil as much as before when Akashi poked his cheek to get his attention before he could completely fall into deep slumber. They had to tuck Chiasa in bed still, and someone had to lock the doors and turn off the lights. 

To be honest, Akashi was still pretty sleepy himself but he had a head start of caffeine before driving to Kuroko’s with safety in mind and he was already used to pulling the worst all nighters anyway. 

One floor away from his office, Akashi did not suppress the yawn that retreated from his mouth. He needed another cup of coffee it would seem. 

“A-Akashi-sama! Good morning!” His secretary came gushing to him instantly with the day’s schedule typed in her tablet. It sounded pretty hectic but as per his new instruction, there was nothing in line beyond four in the afternoon. Akashi soon realized that the reason why they were so many things that needed to be done was entirely because all of his schedules were cramped within the considerably fewer working hours he spent in the office. 

He sighed. There was no helping it.

“Lastly, Akashi-sama, the president is waiting for you in your office.” 

Akashi paused in his tracks and looked at her with furrowed brows. 

“What?” 

“Um, the president, your father, is waiting for you in your office. He arrived here an hour ago.” 

“Did he tell you why— nevermind.” Akashi shook his head and waved at her dismissively, decided to just ask the man himself. “You may go. I’ll call you if we need anything.” 

She looked relieved at that and he could not blame her. 

“Yes. Have a good day, sir. I’ll be with your coffee shortly.” 

As he strode off to ask his father what he wanted so early in the morning, Akashi felt his secretary’s eyes, curious just like everyone else’s about what various things in Akashi’s life and then, possibly, the sudden drop of enthusiasm as soon as he heard about his father’s presence in his office. 

Akashi Masaomi’s unannounced visits usually brewed headaches, based on Seijurou’s own personal experience. Perhaps, declining all those dinner invites from his father had finally come to bite him down (frankly, he had forgotten about those). Impatience ran in the family. Masaomi was certainly there to get answers and would never take a step out of Seijurou’s office until he got what he wanted. 

When he entered past the glass doors, his father greeted him with an amused smile on his face like there was something funny about Seijurou.

“Aren’t you quite late, Seijurou?” Masaomi raised a brow as if to say he was unimpressed. There was a steaming cup of brewed coffee in one hand, while the other held a saucer. “You know, I didn’t give you the highest seat just so you can abuse it for tardiness.” 

Six years ago and Seijurou would have bowed his head and apologized. This time round, without nothing else left to prove, he trudged forward and took a seat on the couch across Masaomi, the center table in between them. 

“As far as I know, I don’t have strict working hours to follow. The same goes for you, president.” Masaomi snickered and took a sip from his cup before putting it back on the table with a soft clink. “But you didn’t come here just to scold me for coming in late, did you? What’s the real reason?” 

As soon as Masaomi met his eyes, Seijurou knew in an instant what _exactly_ was running in his father’s head. 

“Why are you asking when you already know?” Seijurou’s eyes narrowed while Masaomi retained the seemingly unknowing smile on his face. “You see, I’m curious as to what kept your evenings occupied that even _my_ invitations have been declined. That is to say that those dinner invites aren’t just personal, Seijurou. They’re for business.” 

“We can always talk business on other hours, like now, for instance.” 

“That doesn’t answer my question, though.” 

Seijurou crossed his legs, hands clasped together on his knee as he laid back against his seat and leveled his father’s gaze with his own.

“Why are you asking when you already know?” 

Masaomi grinned, pleasantly taken aback for a second. 

Six years ago and Seijurou would not even have dared to throw a question back at him with that kind of attitude, to even dare act like he had the upper hand. 

As for Seijurou, he was not an idiot. He knew his father well enough to know that the alpha already had done his own researches and investigations long before confronting him. This man was, after all, the sole person whom Seijurou learned everything from and who he had taken after.

Masaomi’s shoulders slumped down as he sighed. 

“Fine then, let me change my question. When do you plan on introducing me to _my granddaughter?_ ” 

It was Seijurou’s turn to be caught a little off his guard, not only because of the straightforwardness of the inquiry but also because of Masaomi’s acknowledgement, that Seijurou had a child and that child was Masaomi’s grandchild. There was no malice in his voice, nor was there any traces of sarcasm. Seijurou would have known, he would have seen and felt the tension but there was none. 

It was an innocent question that needed an equally honest answer. 

“I haven’t thought about that yet.”

“Of course.” Masaomi was expecting that. “When I found out about this child of yours, frankly, I couldn’t believe it.” He looked at Seijurou, straight in his eyes. Masaomi was the very, _very_ few people who could stare at him for more than five seconds without combusting. The amusement in his father’s voice was replaced with a dead serious tone—it was cold. “I couldn’t believe _you messed up_.”

The disappointment echoed deeply within Seijurou and it hurt all the more because he knew how true it was and he had blamed himself for it relentlessly still and, for the first time since he found out about Chiasa, someone was _really_ blaming him. His father, no less, the man who he worked hard to impress for years, the alpha who he strived to be at par with, the person who he chose over staying with Kuroko just to meet high expectations and prove himself worthy of praise.

“That was highly irresponsible _of you_ , and it was also very stupid _of you,_ in more ways that one I can see you mother crying in heaven. But you know that already, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

“You’ve done enough damage to that omega, Kuroko Tetsuya was it?” Masaomi took another sip from his coffee, feeling his throat run dry. “To be honest with you, I’ve known about your _silly infatuation_ with him back then but I said nothing as your relations with him didn’t affect your academic and business performances and it didn’t appear to be anything serious since _nothing_ ever happened.”

The words stung but Seijurou kept firm.

“It’s not just a silly infatuation.“ Seijuro clarified and Masaomi’s eyes narrowed pointedly at him.

“Don’t make the mistake of pursuing him just because you have a child. I accept her wholeheartedly, but when it comes to Kuroko Tetsuya—”

“I am not seeking for your approval.” Seijurou quickly interjected. “I will have him as my mate and I am telling you now, do not interfere.”

He spoke firmly, voice laced with finality and absoluteness that never in Masaomi’s lifetime did he think his son would try and issue a command at him. Because that was what it was— a command, an order to not make an unnecessary move that would hinder Seijurou from reaching his goal simply because it would all be futile and a waste of time. It was Seijurou telling him that there was nothing he can do to change the ending that Seijurou already set for himself.

There was a long pause before Masaomi broke the silence with a puff of breath.

“I never said I would. I simply am advising you to think things through. It would do you good to remember that omegas are fragile creatures and as I’ve said, I think you’ve done enough damage.” Masaomi frowned. “You’ll be hurting him more than you will be hurting yourself if you _fuck up._ Ah but of course, you already know that too.” He rubbed his temples. “I want to tell you these things, either way, as another alpha and as your father.”

Seijurou let his defensive aura drop and Masaomi looked somehow relieved that the thick tension in the air between them had vanished.

“You won’t interfere.”

 “I won’t interfere.” Masaomi nodded his head, reaffirming his words. “I am yet to meet this omega you’re obviously obsessing with and my acquired data tells me very little to be a basis of judgment, but I won’t try to stop you, Seijurou, because I trust myself to have not raised a stupid, irresponsible son who refused to learn from his past mistakes and an alpha who put his brain on his dick.”

 If Seijurou hadn’t known better, he would have taken that as offensive, especially since his father rarely used a crude choice of words. For a moment he even thought he heard Aomine speaking. Nevertheless, Seijurou got Masaomi’s message loud and clear, and he would not say it out loud but he felt relieved after hearing Masaomi say all those things. Perhaps it was safe to say that it was the first conversation Seijurou had with him where Masaomi _did_ sound like a father when talking about Seijurou’s personal life. 

Seijurou parted his lips to say something, at first thinking about expressing his gratitude but then it did not seem like it would be the right response.

“I will not disappoint.” He said, settling on that and the words felt so familiar on his tongue but there was also something different when he said it this time. Masaomi looked satisfied. The alpha clasped his hands together. 

“Good. Now let’s talk business, and tell your secretary she can come in now. She’s been peeking through the door with your coffee for a while now.” 

Seijurou smiled and gestured for the beta to come in with a nod of thanks because she looked really nervous. 

* * *

 

There was an open book in his hand and Kuroko had been staring at the same word for minutes now, his reading never really progressing beyond that. To be honest, his lecture had slowly become a blur as his thoughts continued to drift away.

It had been days since Akashi directly expressed and made clear to Kuroko that he had every bit of intention to squeeze past the dents of Kuroko’s well-built barriers, days since Kuroko found his vases filled with an assortment of flowers as Akashi brought him bouquets _every_ morning.

He expected himself to have gotten over it at least after a whole day or two, but obviously such was not the case and now it continued to him unwarrantedly flustered that he had to bury his face in between the pages of what he was supposedly reading. His students, who were supposed to be busy answering the questions Kuroko had written on the board, were constantly stealing quick concerned glances. It was not like him to be distracted during class after all, more so to reveal any emotion past his stoic face. 

Kuroko felt relief wash over him when the bell rung, signifying the end of classes. Arms rose up in the air for a stretch followed by yawns and sighs of exasperation. Even Kuroko found his self releasing a deep puff of breath as he closed his book shut so he could gather his belongings on the desk— a notebook, a planner, and some pens.

“You may finish the rest of the activity at home. I will be collecting your papers tomorrow.” Was the only instruction he left before quickly disappearing out the door, which earned another batch of confused looks from his students. Normally, he would stay for a minute or so and encourage them to ask him questions and clarifications, anything they failed to understand the past hour.

But now he was rushing back to the faculty room with his eyes on his phone, reading Akashi’s text message that told him he was already waiting for Kuroko outside. It compelled the omega to rush, one because he did not want to keep Akashi, or anyone for the matter, waiting for him, and two because Akashi’s rather lavish car was prone to catching attention and interest in a rather ordinary surrounding.

‘ _Got it. I’m on my way.’_ He texted back and then proceeded to shove his things inside his bag the moment he reached his own desk.

“In a hurry again, Kuroko-sensei?” Kaede questioned with that kind smile on her face and Kuroko paused.

“Oh, um, not really.” He answered meekly with a wave of his hand, and though his heart was unreasonably thumping fast in his chest, he slowed down.

Kuroko would not admit it, but the third reason why he was, as Kaede said, in a hurry _again_ was because he was, maybe a little excited.

Someone was waiting for him outside, and that someone was Akashi. It was a kind of set up he never imagined happening, never even occurred on his mind. The slight change in his routine actually had a big impact on his life, despite it only being days since the whole thing started. It had not quite sunk in Kuroko completely yet.

“I’ll be seeing you tomorrow, Kaede-sensei.” Kuroko bowed his head at her, and then waved at some of the other teachers who bid him goodbye, before disappearing out the room and into the corridor.

He was half tempted to run or at least jog, but his pride somehow kept him grounded on walking. Kuroko was looking forward to this part of the day, yes, but he did not want to seem eager. After all, despite his excitement, that did not mean he had already grown soft and willing whenever he was with Akashi.

Kuroko was still very conscious about everything, and he still raced to remove his seatbelt by himself and open the car door by himself. Unconsciously or not, he still had his body glued as close as possible to the window and he refused to look at Akashi’s direction whenever they talked. Actually, Kuroko still did not even bother starting a conversation. It was always the alpha’s first move, and he would answer questions when necessary.

He still tried to block most of Akashi’s advances, but not as much as before and it did not help that his efforts at being stubbornly uncooperative would prove to be futile the moment Chiasa got in the picture.

And there was also Akashi’s genuinely happy smile that could make Aomine spit out his coffee and could cause Midorima’s glasses to crack.

Just a few steps before he rounded the corner to reach the staircase did Kuroko notice someone standing and blocking his path.

“Sensei,” It was a student, and it was a familiar face. Kuroko’s lips twitched, tempted to curve down into a frown when he saw who it was.

“Saito-san, do you need something?”

It was almost impossible to pick it up considering that the corridor was full of other students and the smells blended together, but the fact that Saito’s obvious displease was directed at him, with narrowed eyes somewhat glaring at his wrists, Kuroko easily got the signals and he instantly grew alarmed.

“Where’s the bracelet I gave you?”

It took a second for Kuroko to remember what Saito was talking about. He had forgotten about it entirely until that very moment, and Kuroko instantly felt regret pooling within for forgetting to return it in the soonest possible time, what with everything that happened in the past days.

“Ah, it’s here.” Kuroko calmly dug it out from the inside pocket of his bag and with steady steps, he approached the alpha until he was near enough to hand said bracelet back. “I meant to give it back sooner, but I was busy.” 

“Busy?” Saito drawled, a brow raised as he stepped forward in an obvious attempt to crowd Kuroko’s space. He lifted his hand, fingers brushing over the bracelet to make it look like he was going to relieve Kuroko from its puny weight, but then his hand trailed to Kuroko’s wrist and Saito locked it in his grip. Kuroko’s jaw tightened, preventing from voicing out his surprise at suddenly being held.

The dark glimmer in his alpha student’s eyes screamed danger and Kuroko instinctively tried to retreat back, but the firm grip held him in place. His eyes narrowed. 

“Saito-san.” He said with a warning tone that was ignored completely. 

“I told you to wear this, sensei.” Saito finally took the bracelet from Kuroko’s palm, but then the alpha slowly rolled it past his lithe fingers, his helpless hand. The whole process of making Kuroko wear the bracelet on his captured wrist was deliberately slow like Saito was making sure that Kuroko was watching himself be shackled. “Oh, see? It suits you.” 

“I believe I already told you that I do not accept gift from students.” Kuroko yanked his hand free to remove the accessory, but before he could even touch it, Saito grabbed his wrist again but this time with added force. He winced in pain. 

“It’s not that bad to accept one once in a while. Come on.” Saito shrugged his shoulders with a cheeky smile that Kuroko found indefinitely annoying. 

“If I accept your gift that would make it unfair to others. I _do not_ accept gift from my students,” Kuroko stared up at the alpha, mustering every bit of will he had to keep his calm. “I don’t see why you think you’d be an exception.”

The temperature seemed to drop and Saito’s smile became rigid, nails now digging on Kuroko’s skin, and his eyes lost the youthful mischief it possessed. And while Kuroko did not, in the tiniest bit, felt his submissive nature kicking in at the sudden wave of dominating pheromones, his instincts screamed _danger._ He had to distance himself from this alpha, be as far away as possible before things escalated and take a turn for the worse. 

“Sensei, I have a question for you.”

“Unless it has something to do with academics, I wouldn’t answer.” 

“Are you seeing someone?” 

“Like I said—“ Kuroko was not given the chance to repeat himself as Saito pulled him close, head dipping uncomfortably below Kuroko’s ear. 

From behind him, Kuroko faintly heard whispers. It seemed that this little drama earned them an unneeded audience.

He did not think that the fingers around his wrist could possibly warp around tighter, but it did, and it _burned_. Saito retracted, pulling away just enough so that he could meet Kuroko’s eyes. 

“You are.” Saito said just loud enough for only the two of them to hear, and there was a low growl that failed to escape past Kuroko’s ears. “It’s faint, but it’s there. Huh, I can’t believe this. So you’re not gonna accept my gift because you’re already seeing some other student of yours?” 

The alpha’s pheromones hit him like a whiplash and it spread all over the air, announcing Saito’s great displeasure at his so called discovery. Kuroko began to feel panic pooling in his chest and crawling on his skin, his heart was quickening its pace and his breathes in sporadic puffs through his nose. 

“I am not seeing a student.” He said sternly, pushing all other emotions aside with mustered will power, refusing to succumb to the display of dominance.

“You’re not? Oh, I get it. Maybe you’re not seeing a student, rather, you’re seeing _a bunch of students._ ” Saito smirked, his other free hand slithering alarmingly up the nape of Kuroko’s neck, and the omega immediately grew stiff the moment fingertips playfully grazed over his skin.

Kuroko felt disgusted and he regretted holding back on his efforts on trying to break away, regretted thinking how he should keep acting professionally because he was the mature one here, he was the adult, he was the teacher and he should be able to handle this situation without resorting to violence. He should have elbowed Saito’s face and kicked his crotch when he had the chance. Kuroko could even head-butt his offender easily then, but now there was that hand hovering over his nape. It was a warning. A threat. An unspoken message that told Kuroko one wrong move and he would be nothing but a whimpering, helpless omega in the arms of someone who he considered to be _just a student._  

It was a sensitive spot, dangerous and treacherous. Kuroko should have known better than to let his guard down just because they were within school grounds _“S-someone call the teachers!”_ He heard a female student shout and it was gingerly followed by hurriedly retreating footsteps. It brought Kuroko a bit of hope that he would still be able to escape this situation soon, the he would be freed from mingling breaths with Saito.

“You’ve become quiet, sensei. Does that mean you’ll accept the bracelet.” Kuroko’s jaw tightened, but he openly expressed his revulsion by glaring with all his might. “You know you may not look your age but you’re not _that_ young. I suggest you should settle down. Preferably with me, I mean we’re just a few months away from graduation.”

“I-I highly advise you to stop this n-non-sense or there will be grave consequences. You can be expelled from this school, Saito-s-san.”

“What, seriously? I have you like, trapped in here and _I could do anything to you_ and you talk about me being expelled?” Saito chuckled. “What about you? Aren’t you afraid you’d get fired from sleeping with your students.”

“I told you I am _not—_ ” The words died in his mouth when he felt a finger press against the back of his neck. His breath hitched when the alpha added a little more pressure.

Kuroko’s eyes widened and at that very second, he started to panic.

His eyes zeroed in at the satisfied grin on the alpha’s face, malicious and ugly and maddening. He was too aware of everything but at the same time he felt nothing. The whispers around them were too loud, the approaching footsteps from behind were deafening, and Saito’s lazy retort to someone who ordered to unhand Kuroko was unbearable to his ears. Somehow, someone had interrupted and Kuroko was temporarily saved from being roasted alive with questions and falls accusations. But it did not help that there were a lot of students, it did not help that a mob of teachers had arrived to rescue him, it did not help that while nothing clear registered in his brain he was still very much aware that the battle of dominance between Saito and the alphas in the faculty was heading nowhere and no one else was brave enough to step in and pull Kuroko away while his captor was distracted. A lot of omegas within the area were ushered away when the pheromones became too overwhelming.

There was a soft buzz, but no one else seemed to have heard it aside from him, and Kuroko could feel vibrations on his thigh. It was coming from his pocket, it was coming from his phone. It was _Akashi._

Kuroko’s hands twitched, itching to grab hold on his phone for dear life, but he was still rendered frozen by the fingers pressing on his nape like a gun ready to shoot. 

He could feel his eyes beginning to sting. 

_Akashi-kun._

This was not the first time he had been assaulted like this. Why was he feeling so helpless?

_Akashi-kun._

He could easily pull away now that the grip on his wrist had loosened, now that Saito was busy having a spat with the other teachers. Why did his body refuse to move?

_Akashi-kun._

Why did he feel like being dependent?

_Akashi-kun, where are you?_

His phone stopped vibrating and Kuroko closed his eyes.

_Please._

“What—”

 A strong presence loomed over, an entirely new wave of pheromones hitting everyone like bolts of lightning. Kuroko heard rapid footsteps, and he caught a glimpse of red.

 In a blink of an eye, Saito collapsed down the floor even before he could fully turn his head to see who it was the possessed such a menacing aura it made everyone’s throats dry. Everyone except for Kuroko, who stood on wobbly knees, gaping.

 “Akashi—“ It all happened so quickly and before he even knew it, his’s face was buried in Akashi’s chest, his body encased in the alpha’s arm and a hand pressed at the back of his head protectively.

His body immediately grew lax, air filling his lungs, and his eyes closed shut. The unshed tears creeping out from the corners. Kuroko’s fingers grasped desperately at Akashi’s coat and he could feel the tensed muscles, could hear Akashi’s heart pounding angrily in his chest. And while the alpha’s scent brought him great comfort, it had an _entirely_ different effect on those around them.

“You dare _touch_ him?” 

Akashi was vibrating with anger and everyone else’s throats had gone horribly dry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...I'm sorry this took waaaaay too long. I've started working and I barely have time to write but I promise I won't abandon this story. Please bear with me. TAT


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Throwing the first punch seemed more like Aomine, but Kuroko discovered that one just needed to push the right button for Akashi’s cool to break. And that button, apparently, was him, though he refused to fully acknowledge it.

Kuroko was taking a while, or maybe Akashi was just a little too excited to see him. He had been shifting his weight from leg to leg, eyes boring through his phone as he waited for a response from Kuroko. From to time he would look up just to see if the omega was already in sight, walking towards him. 

Akashi parked his car and waited behind the campus as per Kuroko’s request and he agreed without much fuss, knowing full well Kuroko’s dislike for attracting unwanted attention. Because apparently, Akashi’s car was too showy and it did not help that Akashi himself was a magnet for curious eyes.  
He tried ringing the omega when his texts were left unanswered for over two minutes since he sent them, and trust Akashi to arrive to the worst conclusions when Kuroko did not pick up his call. It did not help that his instincts, most often than not, always proved to hit bulls eye and at that moment it was screaming at him to just _go_ and find out what was taking Kuroko a _long while_ when he replied ten minutes ago that he was already on his way _._ Be it as grave as accidentally slipping down the stairs and breaking his ankle or as simple as having to carry loads of to-be graded essays that slowed him down, it would not hurt to go and check. 

Pressing the call button for the second time with the sound of ringing in his ear, Akashi paced towards the school. 

His first step inside the building and it was not that hard to notice there was something going on. 

Hardly anyone paid attention to him, a few lingering gazes towards his direction but were completely overruled by whispers and students dropping their outdoor shoes in the middle of changing to run back up. The sounds of their hurried footsteps accompanied by whispers and looks of panic. At first, Akashi observed with mild curiosity as a habit, and all it took was a soft, soft voice it was almost impossible to hear but Akashi, by some miracle was able to catch it, a whispery ‘ _Kuroko-sensei_ _’_ lost in the rush of students, and Akashi’s feet were on the move, following the tide where almost everyone was headed. 

And at first he thought, _I was right he may have fallen down the stairs and broken his ankle and—_  

He was gravely wrong.

Because what he saw was arguably _worst_ and it was only a split second that passed before the temperature in the area dropped noticeably. Those useless onlookers had the hairs at the back of their neck standing, figures turning rigid, unable to turn their heads towards the harbinger of such an intense aura. 

Akashi’s footsteps were thunderous and there was no time for anyone to even adjust to Akashi’s murderous presence as he snatched Kuroko away, tucking him into the safety of his arms. His shirt felt damp all too quickly, tears having finally escaped the omega’s eyes. Anguish and fear finally flowing out in the open after being forcefully restrained and pushed to submission. 

“You _dare_ touch him?” 

Akashi was livid. 

The other alpha had fallen down the floor and was looking up at Akashi with surprise, confused about how he ended up in such a losing position. His knees unbuckled disgracefully with just Akashi’s glare after he had pulled Kuroko to him, gold and red eyes blind with feral rage and pupils turned to slits. 

Saito swallowed the lump in his throat, his eyes trying to even the redhead’s piercing gaze towards him despite the intense beating in his chest, despite his instincts willing him to submit to the obviously more superior alpha than anyone present in the vicinity. 

For a brief moment, Akashi’s eyes left Saito when something else caught his attention. In between heavy breaths he caught a whiff of a foreign scent, intruding and just plain _wrong_ to have smelled it on Kuroko. A low growl rumbled from within him, and his nose slowly trailed down from Kuroko’s hair, down to his ear until he reached the area near the omega’s nape where Saito’s fingers had lingered. 

“It’s okay, you’re okay now.” He assured, speaking softly, before his own thumb drew soothing circle on Kuroko’s nape and his nose rubbed at the spot behind Kuroko’s ear, scenting the omega, replacing the smell with his own, blatantly without realizing their audience. Neither he nor Kuroko was at the proper state of mind to care. “I’m here. I’m here.” 

_Your alpha is here._

Kuroko let out a shuddered breath, shoulders relaxing a little and face burying more into Akashi’s chest. His hands curling tightly on the fabric of Akashi’s shirt, and it was then that Akashi took notice of where else the intrusive alpha smell was coming from. 

He gently took one of Kuroko’s hands and frowned at the unwanted accessory around the omega’s wrist, more so the obvious mark of fingers that had violently wrapped around it. 

Akashi looked back at Saito on the floor, directly staring in the other alpha’s eyes, which reflected a pathetic attempt at maintaining his resolve in trying to intimidate Akashi back.

After all that had happened, _he still had the guts to frown and look at me in the eye?_

Jaw tightening and fingers curling against the strands of Kuroko’s hair, Akashi hooked his index in the accessory and tugged on it, the pull instantly snapping the band and beads scattered about, raining on Saito, hitting the floor with a soft _tap tap tap._

It was deafening, in the silence of the corridor where everyone held their breaths, afraid that a single sound they made might divert Akashi’s anger towards them, be the receiving end of hell instead. 

Whatever was holding Saito together had obviously left him to crumble in pieces. His pride as an alpha and as a person diminished to nothing under Akashi’s watch. 

And in the shrill of his voice when Akashi stepped on his hand, foot grinding down with forcefulness as if Akashi was trying to turn Saito’s fingers into dust, solidified a newly established fact that the alpha on the floor was a poor, weak, and pathetic _nothing._  

“It will do you good to learn your place.”

 _You are nothing._

Kuroko flinched when he heard Saito’s cry as Akashi put more pressure on his hand, regret bouncing off the halls of the school and serving as a warning for everyone to not try to pull such a stunt. To not try and claim by force, and most especially not to Kuroko, not to _his omega._

“A-Akashi-kun,” There was a tug on his sleeve and Akashi looked down to see Kuroko’s trembling lips and tear-stained cheeks, eyes glistening with tears. When he spoke, his voice was just loud enough for Akashi to hear albeit breaking. “I-it’s okay now. I’m—I’m okay. That’s enough.”

He was hesitant at first, an ugly feeling of being not quite satisfied yet with just stepping on the student’s hands until he crushed it under his heel into oblivion. But there was a silent plea in Kuroko’s eyes, and the omega still smelled terrified, extremely distressed by everything. 

Akashi closed his eyes and pulled Kuroko closer to his chest, breathing in the ever-present fragrance of his omega to help himself relax before finally lifting his foot. 

Saito cradled his bleeding fingers for dear life as he rolled to his side, wheezing as if Akashi had stepped on his neck instead. Droplets from Saito’s crushed nails stained the floor and before Kuroko could fully see the reduced state of his student, Akashi led him away from the scene, arm still protectively around the omega’s waist as they waved through the stunned crowd. Their audience parted and made way with jerky movements, giving them as much space as possible, keeping as much distance as they could away from Akashi.

It was not until the pair disappeared down the stairs before everyone came back to their senses and teachers rushed to aid Saito. Sniffs and shaky mantras of ‘no, no, no,’ was all they heard from the crushed alpha as they tried to carry him towards the infirmary. 

* * *

 “Oh?” Kise blinked at his phone screen when in the middle of scrolling through his instagram feed came a message notification from Akashi. His honeyed eyes lit up impossibly, the lights from the vanity adding an extra twinkle in his pupils and on the glittery eye shadow on his lids. 

‘ _Ryouta, if you’re free drop by Chiasa’s school and keep her busy for a while. Tetsuya and I will be running a little late. Tell me if you can make it.’_

He most definitely can. There was an hour at most before Chiasa was dismissed and Kise was so thankful that his shoot had ended earlier than expected. The whole team was now running around the set, packing up and he was left alone to deal with removing his make-up. 

‘ _no problem akashichi! but can i ask y? r u on a date? ;D’_  

‘ _Thank you,’_

The reply back was almost instant and his question was ignored. He did not know if it was a good thing or not but oddly enough, he had a bad feeling. Either way, he messaged Akashi back. 

“ _sure! anytime, akashichi! :D :D’_  

Kise made sure to check the time again, and just when he was about to send another text, one of the staff shouted his name. 

“Kise-san! Aomine-san is here!” Kise automatically perked up from his seat, craning his neck towards the door where he met Aomine’s eyes, warmth enveloping the alpha’s whole stature the moment he spotted his omega who looked impossibly beautiful with an otherworldly, fairy-like make-up. 

“Dai-chi!” 

Kise stood up and met his alpha halfway, heels clacking excitedly on the floor. A soft kiss landed on his lips as soon as he had his arms around Aomine’s neck, leaving a faint pink on Aomine’s mouth, which the alpha honestly did not mind. In fact, he was quite used to it. 

“Hey there, princess.” Aomine teased, obviously referring to how Kise looked— a lopsided mini tiara on his head, glittery pastel make up, perfectly fitted matching sky blue shirt and pants with silver accents, and glass looking heels. It seemed like someone pulled Kise out of a Cinderella storybook. 

“Stop it.” He giggled and pinched the bridge of Aomine’s nose. “You’re early. I was just about to change.” 

“What? Why? You look perfect!” Aomine feigned a stricken look on his face. “ _You’re_ perfect.” 

“Oh my _god_ stop it!” Kise halfheartedly threw a punch on Aomine’s chest, just strong enough for him to put a little distance and untangle himself from those arms. As much as he wanted to hug the hell out of his mate, they actually had somewhere to go. “By the way, Akashi-chi texted me. He was asking if we could pick Asa-chi up today.” 

“Really? Why?” 

“He didn’t say.” He shrugged. “Anyway, I really should go get changed. You wait here, okay?” 

“You mean I can’t come with you?” There was that playful look on Aomine’s face again and Kise was sure almost everyone was hiding their own grins and snickers just not to ruin the moment. 

“You can’t. There will be others in the dressing room too, you know.” He rolled his eyes despite the blush on his cheeks, which the make-up failed to conceal despite. 

“Whatever you say, sweetie.” Aomine grinned and Kise grinned back before disappearing in the connecting room. His fellow omega models smiled knowingly at him as soon as he entered. 

“You’ve been together since middle school, I don’t understand how you can still act so lovey-dovey like that.” Said one of the girls, looking at Kise through his reflection in the mirror, and Kise just waved her off with a wiggle of his eyebrows. 

Oh if everyone could just be as happy as he was.

* * *

 “Does this happen often?” 

The question had been hanging in the air for quite some time now since Akashi and Kuroko situated themselves across each other on the kitchen, the dining table separating them as a cup of Jasmine tea grown cold rested right in front of the omega, who had long since shook his head as an answer. But of course, Akashi knew he was lying. As always. 

Kuroko stubbornly refused to say ‘yes, what do you think?’ and kept his eyes trained on his fiddling thumbs on his lap. 

Although to be clear, the advances he received from alphas and betas alike were quite common considering he was, well, known to be a mateless omega, but this was the first time he was assaulted like this. The first time he was shook to his core. The first time someone actually grabbed his wrist and came so close as to press on his nape and make him submit by force. 

Kuroko did not want to dwell much on the thought but if Akashi had not arrived, there was a huge possibility that the day would have ended with him having an unwanted, disgusting mark on his neck, chaining him to his alpha student for the rest of his life. 

“Tetsuya,” there was a dangerous edge to Akashi’s voice. It dripped with impatience and Kuroko bit his lip and casted his eyes down, instinctively making himself appear small in the face of his alpha’s growing displease. 

His alpha. Akashi. 

 _His alpha._  

It was all he could think about, all that ran in his head the second Akashi pulled him in his arms, inhaling the familiar musk that he had been missing for years. _My alpha is here, my alpha is here, my alpha is here_ over and over until he felt like his heart was going to burst at the heaviness of Akashi’s scent all over him, clinging and mixing with his own smell wonderfully despite the situation they were in. 

“It’s… no. It doesn’t.” Kuroko managed, lying through his teeth, voice soft and whispery towards the end. He chanced a glance of Akashi’s face and the same, hardened expression was there. The alpha merely stared at Kuroko; no reaction from the answer he got and Kuroko knew it was because it was not the answer the alpha was waiting for. Akashi just stared, but he stared with a fire in his mismatched eyes that aimed to coax the truth out of Kuroko’s mouth. Other than that, and the occasional press of his fingers on his own arms crossed over his chest, Akashi showed no signs of acting on his protective impulse towards Kuroko. 

Akashi, Kuroko observed, was doing better and acted so much more mature compared to that one time in their second year in high school. 

They were separated, with Akashi ordered by his father to attend a school in Kyoto and Kuroko, of course, to stay and attend a high school somewhere near his rented apartment since he lived alone. A decision he had made on its own, refusing to be a burden to his grandparents. 

Despite the distance, Akashi had promised to visit Kuroko as often as possible, which meant every weekend whenever his busy schedule permitted him to (that was to say that Akashi somehow always found a way to defend his consecutive weekend visits because _that was what good friends do._

 _Friends_. Kuroko back then merely waved the wrong feeling away). 

And being a good friend that he was, Akashi had planned to surprise Kuroko on a particularly warm Friday afternoon, just around the time when classes were about to end and after school club activities were to take place. The redhead went to Kuroko’s high school, Seirin, without giving away his intentions when he texted Kuroko and asked where exactly he was. 

It was normal for Akashi to ask such things, a constant hunger for information, to know everything that can possibly be known, so Kuroko texted him his whereabouts without a second thought, without suspicion. 

One can only imagine his surprise when Akashi came bursting through the locker room doors, reeking of anger, eyes turned to slits and seemed to be glowing under the orange afternoon sunlight that seeped past the windows. 

To be fair, one can also only imagine Akashi’s surprise to be greeted by the sight of Kuroko cornered by an alpha against the lockers, with nothing but his gym bag to defend his self. 

He could remember that afternoon, clear as crystal, and was still awestruck at how fate played in his favor that day. Had Akashi not planned a silly surprise visit, had Akashi not arrived then, had Akashi not found him— 

The tears immediately gathered and poured out of Kuroko’s eyes at the sight of Akashi on the door, and within a split second he was sure, the redhead threw the first punch, followed by a few punches more until Kuroko managed to squeak out Akashi’s name. 

The alpha then looked at him and scented him like a madman that even a beta like Kagami scrunched his nose and _noticed_ Kuroko smelling like someone else the next day before basketball practice started. It forced Kuroko to tell everything that had happened, and perhaps it was during that moment when the beta had upped his protectiveness towards Kuroko, as well as his wariness against Akashi who he was yet to meet until for another two months. 

He did not expect, in all honesty, for Akashi to have acted the way he did back then. Throwing the first punch seemed more like Aomine, but Kuroko discovered that one just needed to push the right button for Akashi’s cool to break. And that button, apparently, was him, though he refused to fully acknowledge it. 

(Because they _were just friends_. Maybe a little more than close friends, friends whose scents clung and mixed with each other with the numerous occasions they exchanged fleeting but scent marking touches _innocently_ with no malice whatsoever, but friends nonetheless.) 

Akashi interrogated him, making Kuroko admit the handful of times someone, anyone tried to make a move on him, times when he would feel eyes following him, times when a person attempted to befriend him with the intention of courtship later on. He had clarified that it was the first time something that bad happened, but it all fell on deaf ears and the only thing that registered in Akashi’s alpha brain was that Kuroko was being _hunted._

Akashi scented him until Kuroko was completely engulfed with his musk, until every intake of breath Kuroko took filled his nose and senses with just Akashi and no one else, nothing else even. The senior alpha that attacked Kuroko was nowhere to be found the next day. A week after, he learned that the senior student was expelled from school with reasons undisclosed, only to be known by the school faculty. Kuroko did not even bother wondering why, and how Akashi got off the hook. It was _Akashi Seijurou_ and the name itself was enough of an answer. 

Although he did try to give Akashi a lecture about going maybe a but overboard. 

“Are you going to—” Kuroko found himself starting the question, thinking about Saito’s welfare all of a sudden, but he was unable to continue when he saw Akashi raise a brow. 

“Am I going to what? Is this about your student?” Kuroko nodded his head hesitantly. Akashi let out a breath. “Don’t worry. You’ll never see him again.” 

The implication of what Akashi said quickly sunk in Kuroko and for the first time since they went home, he looked at Akashi in the eye. 

“I know you have your ways Akashi-kun, but—but you can’t—” 

“You had just been sexually assaulted and you’re thinking about that scum’s welfare?” 

“He is still my student.” Kuroko defended weakly, uselessly. “A-and it’s not going to happen again—” 

“ _Like hell_ it’s going to happen again!” Akashi hissed, his fist raised and ready to slam on the table but he stopped himself in the last minute. Taking a deep breath in, he went back to folding his arms across his chest, fingers digging through his sleeves. “It’s not going to happen again because you _won’t_ see him again. Besides, I don’t think I even have to do anything to get him kicked out. What he did to you is enough reason for him to get expelled. Now if, _if_ the school board decides to keep him despite everything, that is when I will act.” 

“And you don’t have to!” Kuroko’s hands were on the table. He was at the edge of his seat and his voice shook as he spoke. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Please don’t make a big deal out of this it’s not like it’s the first time—“ Kuroko stopped, realizing his mistake, and this time Akashi’s fist came into contact with the table. The omega flinched when Akashi slammed on the wood. His tea had spilled a few drops at the edge of his cup.

“So it _does_ happen often!” Akashi hissed before pushing on his chair to stand up and walk away, one hand on his hip as the other threaded through his red hair. Before Akashi turned around, Kuroko caught sight of his pupils changing again but with the way Akashi paced away from the table, the omega knew that Akashi was trying to calm himself down before his alpha side could completely overtake him. 

For a minute that seemed to last a lifetime, neither of them said anything, with Kuroko simply rendered speechless at Akashi’s outburst, and said alpha trying to even his breathes while he leaned over the sink, not wanting to face Kuroko until he was sure he would not be raising his voice again anytime soon. It was not until Kuroko felt Akashi’s distress leveling down a notch did he dare open his mouth again, all the while trying to battle Akashi’s pheromones with his own calming ones.

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” He repeated his words from a while ago. His fingers caressed the untouched cup of tea, wiping on the spill that trailed on the porcelain. “It wasn’t the best experience, a-and I’m still shaken. A bit. But it’s okay now. I mean, you’re h-here. S-so, it’s okay.” 

Akashi finally turned around, eyes turned back to normal but with a lingering question reflected in them, as if not quite getting Kuroko’s point. Said omega bowed his head and avoided Akashi’s gaze but continued talking. 

“I just—I mean of course I was scared, but you came and—and everything’s good. It’s okay. It’s all good so--…I’m just saying you don’t have to really make a big deal out of it because you came and saved me and—and I’m fine now. That’s what’s important.” Kuroko’s fingers shook so he folded them against his palms and held them down to rest on his lap, hiding them from Akashi’s eyes. “I know you won’t always be here but right now, you’re here… and I’m okay.” 

“Tetsuya,” 

“You’re here and I’m okay, and that’s enough.” Kuroko’s voice faded into a hush. “You’re here now and that’s enough. For me.” 

His vision had started to go blurry as relief washed over him. Kuroko had not realized he there had been more of the fear he had been keeping inside, but hearing himself say the words, the confirmation that Akashi had come for him and was _there_ , just there beside him, actually beside him had brought him so much relief. And as Akashi bent down and pulled him into another hug, it was as if a heavy weight in his heart had vanished. A constant pain that had always been there but he ignored for years suddenly dulled by Akashi’s lips against his forehead. 

“I’m here.” Akashi mumbled against his hair, breath blowing through the strands. The alpha’s hands found their way back around Kuroko’s body, thumbs rubbing circles against his skin in a soothing, reassuring way. Kuroko’s fingers grasped lightly on Akashi’s shirt, a soft, unconscious pull that willed him to bury his face, and if possible, his entire being into Akashi’s chest, and Akashi hugged him tighter in return, a silent reaffirmation that yes, _yes,_ he was there and he was going nowhere. 

They stayed like that, contented, for another set of minutes, breathing in each other, and Kuroko took notice of how Akashi was scenting him all over again as if what he had done back at the school ago was not more than enough to almost eradicate Kuroko’s own scent completely. And the omega made no attempt to move, allowing himself to lose in his vulnerability unlike the many other times. It felt liberating to say the least, and he was willing to drown in this lightness of his heart for another couple of minutes before he had to steady himself back up in his own feet.

“How are you feeling now?” He heard Akashi ask, voice low and just loud enough for Kuroko to hear. He felt a warm breath brush on his ear lobe, causing his breath to hitch. 

“Better. How are _you_ feeling now.” Kuroko threw the question back with a mild playfulness that made Akashi grin against his shoulder. 

“Better.” Akashi answered. “Everything is better when I’m with you.” 

Kuroko’s face grew red and he was thankful that Akashi could not see his face. He resisted the urge to say the words back. Instead, he closed his eyes and mumbled a ‘thank you’ that spoke volumes, and he heard a pleased hum from Akashi.

“But Tetsuya,” 

“Yes?” 

“I make no promises about your student.” Kuroko opened his eyes for a moment but he did not pull away. Akashi continued, “I’m not going to harm him, if that’s what you’re worried about, but that does not change the fact that I can’t just let this pass. If your school doesn’t do what I expect them to, I will have to act.” 

Akashi was in the right, Kuroko knew, even if he put aside Akashi’s alpha impulse to eradicate a threat. 

“I… I understand.” Kuroko closed his eyes again and Akashi sighed in relief. 

“Thank you.” The alpha toyed with the strands that touched Kuroko’s nape. Unlike the effect that Saito’s touch had, Akashi’s fingers brushing against the sensitive spot almost lulled Kuroko to pleasant slumber. 

“My tea is cold.” Kuroko commented, side eyeing his cup. “And you spilled it.” 

Akashi chuckled. The mood had changed; a feather-like lightness filled the room. They were okay now, for real this time. 

“I should call Ryouta.” Akashi said but made no move to get his phone from his pocket. 

“Yes you should.” Kuroko agreed but made no move to untangle himself from Akashi. 

There was a lot more that they should probably discuss and settle, a lot more to talk about, but at that moment they were just contented, comforted. They were in each other’s arm, a reassurance of each other’s presence, and for now it was enough.

It was enough to just be _here._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yes I'm still alive yes I'm still akakuro trash and there's just so many feels I hope this chapter wasn't too...emotional? cheesy? out of character?
> 
> I just have too MANY FEELS I had to put them somewhere and bam a chapter was born.
> 
> and lol again I hope that the flashbacks are not too confusing I am intentionally scattering them and inserting them in between uh, moments? so I know all of you want to know what exactly happened to Kuroko and Akashi how exactly did Kuroko get pregnant why did Akashi leave did they mate were they mates are they soulmates what was his life like during Akashi's absence how did he survive where are Kuroko's parents why is he living alone what what why how where what the fuck-- so many questions to answer so rest assured I am not abandoning this fic wohoo!!!!
> 
> I forgot what was my point 
> 
> THANK YOU!! :D :D <3 <3


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The alpha felt like mush, uncharacteristically. Kuroko had always been an expert on bringing out a side of Akashi no one knew existed, not even he himself. 
> 
> He felt like mush.

Kise had to stop himself midway from bounding towards Kuroko just right behind Chiasa. 

It hit him almost instantly, the strong smell that surely was coming off from Kuroko, or at least surrounded said omega in a protective way—a _very_ protective way that it was repelling _outsiders_ on purpose. 

Kise felt a hand circle around his waist, Aomine pulling him back gently as the blond omega watched an unknowing Chiasa safely making it in Kuroko’s arms with a cheerful smile. Then slowly, with confusion etched on his face and Aomine’s, they regarded Akashi carefully. 

The red haired alpha was leaning on the kitchen counter, a tiny smile on his face as he watched his daughter answer questions from Kuroko. But his arms were crossed over his chest and his shoulders seemed tensed. He seemed guarded, or rather, in a guarding stance. It looked like he was ready to pounce on anyone anytime should something unpleasant were to happen. 

And honestly, it looked like something already did. When Akashi felt the pair’s gaze, he turned his head and met their eyes. There was a spike of aggression in the air for a split second and Kise felt Aomine’s hand on his hip clench, but the animosity was gone quickly as Akashi somehow seemed to acknowledge their presence with a nod. 

They remained by the door still, opting to play safe and with a few ideas of what could have happened already spinning in their heads.

Akashi had left his spot and strode over to where Kuroko was happily crooning over his daughter, like he had not seen him for a full week, like he had not hugged her in months.

“Mama,” Chiasa raised a hand and touched Kuroko’s cheek. “your eyes are puffy.” 

“Oh, a-are they?” Kuroko ducked his head and forced a little laugh as he let his own fingers ghost over his eyes. “That’s, well—” 

“Your mama caught something in his eyes and he just scratched them too much.” Akashi interjected, kneeling down to Chiasa’s level. He opened his arms. “Come here, sweetheart.” 

Chiasa did not hesitate giving him a hug, unlike days before. It was a relief and a heartwarming progress. The heavy tension in the room went down a notch and Kise found out that he could relax then. Aomine puffed a breath. 

“How’s your day?” 

“It was fun! Kise-san and Aomine-san and me ate cake at Murasakibara-san’s. He gave me a free carrot cake.” 

“He loves spoiling her.” Kuroko muttered and Chiasa grinned at her. 

“It’s not like anyone can resist.” Akashi chuckled and Kuroko rolled his eyes. He tucked a few strands of hair behind Chiasa’s ear before his smile fell, looking apologetic. “I’m sorry we couldn’t come today.” 

“It’s okay! I know that you and mama sometimes need alone time.” Chiasa shrugged, honestly not bothered in the slightest. “Kise-san told me.” 

At the mention of his name, Kise squeaked and hid behind his mate, eyes fearfully gauging Akashi’s reaction. Thankfully, the alpha spared him with only a second-long glance. 

“Yeah. Sometimes we do.” Akashi said, and there was a soft look on Akashi’s face as he seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a short moment. Meanwhile, Kuroko stood up with red creeping up his cheeks and ears. 

“I’ll uh, go and prepare Chiasa’s bath.” He said as he stood up to leave, but turned at the last second to give a shy bow at Kise and Aomine. “Thank you for looking after Chiasa.” He said before quickly disappearing in the bathroom before either Kise or Aomine could stutter out a reply. The sound of running water faintly was heard through the door. 

“Are you hungry?” Akashi asked and Chiasa shook his head.

“We just ate ice cream.” 

“Ice cream is not dinner, Chiasa.” He stood up and patted the child’s head. “How about I go order something. Your mama’s a little tired to be cooking. Is there anything you want?”

“Um…” She bit her lip and glanced down her shoes. “Can I have Katsudon?” 

“Of course. Anything for you sweetheart.” Akashi leaned down and gave a peck on her forehead. He then turned towards Kise and Aomine’s direction. “Do you want anything?” 

The pair looked at him, gaping and still a quite hesitant to which Akashi sighed. 

“I’ll be stepping out a bit to place the call. Keep her company for a while, Ryouta.” Akashi fished his phone out of his pocket and began dialing. 

“Me?” Kise pointed to himself, surprised. Aomine did not miss how Akashi opted to omit his name. “I-I can?” 

Akashi nodded his head. Kise turned to look at Aomine and waited for his alpha to give his own approval, which Aomine later on did after meeting Akashi’s eyes. 

“O-okay! Sure.” Kise beamed immediately afterwards, delighted that it was relatively safe to approach then. “Chiasa-chi! Let’s braid your hair!” 

“But I’m going to take a bath, Kise-san.” Chiasa answered. 

Akashi walked out of the unit, Aomine followed suit. 

There were only few words exchanged as Akashi placed his orders. Well all he did was say his name, mention the address, and asked to add Chiasa’s order in whatever menu that seemed to already be prepared prior should Akashi call their place anytime. As soon as the call ended, the first thing Akashi did was to light a cigarette and lean on the railing. Aomine took a few paces away to the side. 

“Ryouta doesn’t like the smell.” Aomine said when Akashi raised a brow at him. “I already quit.” 

Akashi just shrugged. The silence stretched for a few seconds and Aomine let Akashi calm himself enough to tell what exactly happened, because he sure as hell knew better than to approach the topic first. Akashi still radiated offensiveness despite everything and Aomine addressing the matter could very much trigger Akashi’s alpha. 

So Aomine busied himself with trying to stop himself from taking a whiff of second hand smoke, no matter how tempting. Nothing would be worse than Ryouta not wanting to be anywhere near him. The last time that happened (which was a remarkable two years ago), he really thought he was going to die from touch starvation. 

Akashi ran his fingers through his hair. 

“Tetsuya got attacked by his student today.” 

Aomine’s brows furrowed at the word Akashi used: _attacked._  

“He almost got _marked_.” Akashi continued and an almost imperceptible snarl rumbled from within him, the memory of his frightened omega causing waves of unpleasant emotions. Aomine could sympathize with him, and that explained the intense scenting that surely had taken place. He and Kise could barely move from their spots by the door minutes ago. Akashi had not just scented Kuroko for the sake of staking claim; it was with a heavy purpose of keeping anyone that was neither Akashi nor Chiasa _away._  

Aomine mused that Akashi’s silent command for him to follow outside was not only for the reason that Akashi needed someone to talk to. Kise was an omega so he had allowed him but Aomine? He was an alpha, and Akashi did not seem to be emotionally steady enough to allow another alpha, no matter how familiar, to be anywhere near Kuroko yet. 

At least Akashi could gracefully handle himself. Maybe Chiasa’s presence had helped? 

“How often does this happen?” Akashi asked and when Aomine turned, his eyes were locked in Akashi’s gaze. He had to give an honest to God answer, a precise number if he possibly could and more, not that he had any intentions on lying. Kuroko might have wanted him to sugarcoat things, but Aomine understood where Akashi was coming from more than anything else, as an alpha like himself. 

“I can’t tell you how many times exactly. It’s not like I’ve been counting.” Aomine turned his back against the railing. “But I can say it’s happened a damn lot.” 

He heard Akashi curse through his teeth and he gauged if he could continue. Akashi took another inhale of smoke, the end of the stick glowed. Aomine deemed it safe. 

“It’s not surprising. Tetsu is an unmated omega,” Aomine carefully said and Akashi closed his eyes, breathed in. “and there are a lot of assholes out there who’d happily take advantage. Did you know that five months ago, Tetsu and Chiasa just moved here?” 

Akashi’s head perked up at the information. It was not something he had decided to research on, considering there were other more important things. 

“Where were they before?” 

“Just near Chiasa’s kindergarten and Tetsu’s school. It was a five minute walk, but things happened and,” Aomine shook his head an crossed his arms. “everyone told them—me, Midorima, that Bakagami, _everyone—_ asked him to move here. The police station where I go to is just a five minute drive away from here, so is Bakagami’s fire station. Midorima’s hospital is around twenty minutes away if the traffic is bad—”

“What happened?” Akashi cut him. He had lighted his second stick. Aomine was almost hesitant to share the details but there was no helping it. Akashi had to know. 

“Someone fucking broke in their home. Tetsu had a stalker. Both were different cases and happened at a different time. Two omegas living together alone, they were easy targets.” Aomine felt like he needed to ask Akashi for a cigarette eventually. “It was a good thing that Tetsu had taught Chiasa what to do when things like that happened. He had speed-dialed me while hiding inside the closet. Kuroko had used himself as a distraction, stupid man that he is. We found him pinned under the fucking intruder—” 

Aomine had to stop when Akashi growled. The other almost pounded his fist on the railing. 

“—but he was _unharmed._ We got there on time. Then we asked them to leave that shitty apartment and move here. It’s a safe neighborhood, my team and I go on daily rounds around the streets here, CCTV cameras on each lamp post and shit,” 

Akashi was taking in deep breaths The thought of Kuroko’s safety, being assured of it, had helped a little bit to quell his rage. Not entirely, but not enough for him settle and stop feeling remorseful, to stop the thoughts of blaming himself, that _nothing would not have happened at all if he was by Kuroko’s side the entire time._ Aomine, dense as he was always though to be, actually knew what exactly was going on inside Akashi’s head. 

If he were in Akashi’s place, he was surely going to think the same things.

He placed a hand on Akashi’s shoulder and squeezed, firmly. 

“But you’re here. You can keep them safe.” _You don’t have to blame yourself for everything. What matters is the present, the ‘now,’ and the reality of the ‘now’ is that you’re here._ “And you just did, didn’t you?” 

Akashi did not nod his head in agreement, but the way he looked at Aomine showed that the words reached him. When Akashi looked away, he brought the cigarette on his lips and felt the tension in his chest slowly lifting. The guilt was there, and would continue to linger for a little longer, but in the very least he could relax and just agree with Aomine, who was surprisingly making sense. 

“I’ll just finish this one before we go back in.” Akashi muttered. “Do you have mint?” 

“You’re lucky I do.” Aomine took a mentos out of his pocket. “You should stop smoking if you wanna see your grandkids, you know.”

Akashi snorted but agreed anyway. The thought of having grandkids with Kuroko made him crack a smile. 

“This will be the last and then no more. Here,” Akashi handed Aomine the box of cigarettes he had kept in his pocket but not before taking out two more sticks as an afterthought. “throw that away for me.” 

* * *

 

“You’re going to burn holes on my back, Kise-kun.” Kuroko teased and Kise opened his mouth for a retort, but catching Chiasa’s curious gaze at him, he clamped his mouth back shut. 

“Are you okay?” The child asked with a tile of her head, somehow sensing his frustration, and Kise was quick to wear his usual smile. 

“Very!” 

“But,” Chiasa scratched her chin and looked back to where Kuroko disappeared in the bathroom, probably checking if the water temperature was warm enough for a relaxing bath. “Oh. Do you also need alone time with mama? Just like pa—papa…“ 

She faltered, the word still felt foreign on her tongue compared to the silent thoughts in her head. She had not even directly addressed Akashi using it, always opting to get her father’s attention with a soft tug on his shirt. 

Kise’s eyes had softened and he stroked the strands of Chiasa’s hair, marveling at its softness. Well he did recommend Chiasa’s current shampoo so it was to be expected. 

“Just like your papa, Akashi-chi, yes.” He answered, brushing away the child’s bangs from her eyes. They needed trimming soon. “But don’t worry! I just have a story to tell your mama.” 

“What story?”

“Well,” Seeing Kise’s hesitation, Chiasa’s brows furrowed and she leaned forward, voice falling in a hushed tone. 

“Did Aomine-san do something again?” She asked, albeit confused because she had been for almost more than an hour ago and there was not the slightest hint of distress between the pair, especially Kise. In return, Kise gasped and vehemently shook his head. 

“Nononono, no, Asa-chi! It’s not—he didn’t!” The blond strongly denied, and it was in the middle of his weird defensive hand gestures that Kuroko caught him with a raised brow. Kise heaved a sigh. “Dai-chi didn’t do anything, Asa-chi. Don’t worry.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yep!” 

“Okay.”

Kise almost felt his heart burst when Chiasa patted him on the head before getting off the couch to get inside the bathroom. 

“I’ll follow you in a minute.” Kuroko mumbled to her and she nodded. He pulled the door, leaving just a tiny gap before approaching Kise with a look that the blond omega was too familiar with. 

“Kise-kun—“ 

“Oh no, Kuroko-chi, you don’t get to tell me it’s nothing.” 

Kuroko paused and blinked twice before letting his shoulders relax. 

“I wasn’t going to.” He answered with a fond smile. “But I’ll do tell you that it’s nothing to worry about, whatever it is that happened.” 

“Which I have a very good guess on.” Kise crossed his arms and stared at Kuroko, meeting the other omega’s eyes and holding his gaze. “Akashi-chi scented you,” Kuroko’s fingers twitched, his pride the only thing not letting him avert his gaze despite the embarrassment already creeping on his face in red. The memory was still fresh, with the whole scenting thing happening just minutes ago. He could still feel the ghost of Akashi’s touch, remember how he had rub his wrists and nose on Akashi’s clothes as subtle as he could, action driven by instincts. “and he scented you like, like _oh my god_ I can’t even— I was so shocked? I can only imagine to what extent could’ve happened this time with the way he— K-kuroko-chi! You’re blushing? You are!” 

Kuroko made a move to turn and walk away but Kise held his arms, preventing him from escaping. 

“I’m just a little overwhelmed right now, Kise-kun.” He reasoned, trying to drop the subject. 

Thankfully, Kise nodded in understanding. The way the blond pursed his lips a very familiar sign of self-control otherwise he’d burst with excitement, which confused Kuroko a bit. The question must have been obvious on his face, with what little sign of emotion it could give, that Kise stepped back and clenched his fists above his heart. 

“I’m sorry I was just happy—I mean _not_ happy with what happened. Just,” He did vague gestures with his hands, next. “it’s for a different reason don’t worry I’m kinda just…” Kise’s shoulders slumped, energy seemingly depleting. “It’s nothing, Kuroko-chi. I was just getting ahead of—of everything?” 

Everything. Kuroko understood what _everything_ meant for Kise that he felt himself taking in a large intake of breath as a whole new wave of concern washed over him. Everything. _The future._ Were things going to change? But, Kuroko thought, things actually had changed, _already._ What had transpired between him and Akashi was not exactly a turning point, but god he would be lying to himself if he said that _letting_ Akashi cover him with his scent from head to toe was just out of necessity and nothing more. 

Kuroko _welcomed_ it. And as subtly as he could, he was relishing on the feeling. It calmed him, made him feel safe, yes, but he also felt content and satisfied. His omega side, which he had ignored for so long, could not help but joyfully bask in the protectiveness and attention that Akashi gave him.

“Mama!” Chiasa’s voice echoed from the bathroom. “It’s one minute already! I counted to sixty!” 

There were splashing sounds that followed, probably the child flutter-kicking against the waters. 

“She actually counted.” Kise looked amused. “You should go, Kuroko-chi. I already kept you for one whole minute.” 

“Ah, yes. I certainly should.” Kuroko agreed, shaking his head but with a small smile on his face. “There’s leftover ice cream in the fridge, if you like.” He offered and Kise’s eyes lit up, though Kuroko did still notice how his enthusiasm fell a split second before Kuroko made a turn for the bathroom. 

No one needed to mention it, but the way their conversation ended did not exactly feel right, and Kuroko could feel Kise’s frustration. The questions he meant to ask were probably burning the tip of his tongue as he held them back. 

Kuroko paused by the door, hand resting on the knob when he turned his head to look at Kise, who was fidgeting on his spot. As soon as their eyes met, Kise looked predictably expectant. 

“We can talk about it next time, Kise-kun.” He smiled warmly, an assurance that he meant what he said, and Kise’s delight was quick to make itself obvious. He perked up, giddy on his feet. 

“We can?” Kise squeaked in an effort to retain some composure but failing. Seeing how the other flowing with happiness as if granted a lifelong wish somehow made Kuroko feel a pang of guilt in his chest. 

He was not the most expressive person, obviously, and he really did not mean to shut everyone out, but the way his life turned out and how he had lived it for the past years, the necessary fortress he had built to protect both him and Chiasa, was not exactly easy to breakdown. 

But he was learning to open up, little by little, especially after Murasakibara of all people had scolded him. Apparently, updating them with what happened in the years he had lied ‘ _waaay to low’_ as Momoi put it, was not opening up. 

‘ _But what are you feeling? How are you really doing, Kuro-chin?’_  

Kuroko had long realized that the simple ‘I’m fine’ was not the right answer. 

Kise had flung himself to Kuroko, enveloping him in his arms, citrus like scent spiking up in elation.

“Okay!” The blond cheered before finally letting Kuroko go. From where they stood, Chiasa was watching them with wide, curious eyes and Kise marched over to pinch her cheeks. “God, you’re so cute Asa-chi!”

Confused, Chiasa looked at Kuroko and her mama just smiled and shrugged. 

* * *

When the two alphas got back in the house, they both were greeted with the sight of Kise on the couch, binging on the tub of ice cream Kuroko offered. A spoon on one hand, his phone on the other. 

“That’s Chiasa’s.” Akashi deadpanned, frowned for effect to mess with the blond, and Kise was quick to sputter defenses. 

“Kuroko-chi said I could!” The omega hugged the food close to his chest, and from behind him Akashi heard Aomine stifle a laugh. Kise had caught it. “Dai-chi!” 

Well, who was Aomine to deny Kise when he called? 

“Don’t bully him, Akashi.” Aomine stepped past the redhead, patting his shoulder in the process and laughing. “Only I get to do that.” 

“I heard that!” Kise cried and Aomine embraced him in response, hand ruffling his hair. Akashi rolled his eyes and walked over the fridge to fetch himself a glass of water. He could hear the splashes of water and Chiasa’s giggles from the bathroom, but could not make out what she and her mama could be talking about. 

Then he heard Kise say, ‘Dai-chi,’ with his voice low, ‘did you—‘ sniffing, ‘did you smoke!?’ 

Aomine let Kise lean away from him. The smell had clung to his clothes. 

“No, darling, that’s not me.” 

Kise’s brows curved and Aomine sighed, looking over to where Akashi was now downing a full glass of water rapidly. He set the glass down on the table with a soft thud. 

“Oh,” 

“Tell Tetsuya I just went to get some things in the car.” Akashi pulled on his cuffs. The couple nodded their heads simultaneously, and while Kise bit his lip, unsure how to react (or afraid, rather), Aomine looked quite pleased. “I won’t take long.” 

He shut the door softly behind him and began to sniff his collar and sleeves as he trudged downstairs, delighted at the discovery that Kuroko’s scent had clung to his clothes. Though it was mixed with the trademark smell of his cigarettes, it was still there like it had seeped through his clothes stubbornly as if Kuroko had returned the favor of scen—

Kuroko had scented him. 

Akashi paused and pulled his collar up to his nose, making sure that it was not just Kuroko’s scent naturally setting itself there with the way Akashi had pulled him close.

And it was there, like it had been pressed on that spot with a purpose and not just a light overlay done by casual, meaningless touching. It was not just a brush of the hand or anything similar. It was _there_ because it was _meant to be there._

He took a deep breath in, closing his eyes, and his fingers balled into fists, digging on his palms as he settled to sit at the top of the stairs. Akashi’s hands covered his face but it did not prevent the smile that tugged on the corner of his lips.

The alpha felt like mush, uncharacteristically. Kuroko had always been an expert on bringing out a side of Akashi no one knew it existed, not even he himself. He felt like mush.

Oh well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> an update yaaaass!!! This is more of a filler chap. Thank you guys for the support even if I take so long to write! ToT I squeezed in the time writing this at work so as usual, I apologize for the errors. Welp.
> 
> In the next chapter, how does "grandpapa" sound like to you. :3


	15. Chapter 15

Akashi was distracted, obviously so that his secretary could easily tell that the conversation flowing from the speakers went in one ear then quickly out the other. His eyes, seemingly focused on the large screen at the other end of the table, would have fooled her except Akashi’s lips betrayed his intended façade. 

There was twitch on the corners from time to time and the secretary would catch herself curling her fingers against the desk, anticipating the smile that somehow (and much to her frustration) never succeeded to surface. She may have developed a new respect for Akashi’s self-control despite his brains fluttering around somewhere else. 

She had her own speculations as to what might be the reason behind her boss’ odd behavior, just like the rest of the employees in the building. In fact, she had them scribbled on a small post-it half-hidden underneath the iPad that Akashi gave her. The list contained some shallow, ridiculous guesses ( _good dream, good coffee, bought a dog? Is he a dog person? Bought a cat? Cat person?),_ all of which quickly crossed out the longer she observed the alpha from the corner of her eyes. 

A question was thrown from the conference call and she snapped back to attention, trying her hardest to understand the words through the strong Korean accent and type it in. It was a good thing she did, because Akashi had just been addressed and the alpha all but stared at the monitor. She was sure he was not even looking at the right face. 

“Akashi-sama,” She stage-whispered and had to repeat it twice, also with a subtle nudge of her stylus on the back of his hand, to get his attention. “Akashi-sama,” 

When he came down from whatever dream cloud, nothing on his face told that he had actually been daydreaming in the first place. He did not even look at her, did not even act surprised or confused, but his eyes did stray to the side for a quick second to the tablet she held on her chest where the Korean CEO’s question was hastily put, typos and all. Thank god she was not included within the webcam’s range.

And then Akashi delivered flawlessly, answering without having to put in a thought. He did not disappoint, least to say, and the other business tycoons looked rather convinced with the proposition that Akashi offered.

At one point, Akashi’s hand tensed and it was at the mention of a business trip, which she had entered on her iPad with bold letters. The alpha did not seem quite pleased with the idea of travel despite the look on his face but who was she to jump to conclusions?  
  
“Well then,” Korean CEO said, a pleased smile on her face. “I shall see you soon, gentlemen.”   
  
Everyone nodded their heads and offered their own polite farewells, one of them bidding goodbye and wishing luck in his own language, before the conference call ended.   
  
It was over. She breathed a sigh of relief she did not even realize she was keeping. Not that she had doubts about her boss, hell she had seen how perfectly he handled his businesses with scary precision and certainty, but it still gave her heart a little bit of a fright.  
  
“Thank you, Ao-san.” He gave her a nod, and much to her surprise, the smile that she had been waiting for was finally there. “You did a good job.”  
  
“Thank you, sir.” She bowed her head then smiled back. If it were another day she would have not even dared to meet Akashi’s eyes, which looked at her sincerely. But she did look away quickly to bow her head again before they both stood up from their seats. Akashi pulled his cuffs, straightening his sleeves.   
  
“Make sure to get me an evening flight, no earlier than seven.”  
  
“Yes, sir.”  
  
Ao followed him out of the meeting room, watching his back and continuing her guessing game. The other people they passed by mouthed questions at her, noticing the lightness in Akashi’s step and absence of the usual, scarily commanding animosity in his aura. Her answer to them was a mere shrug of her shoulders.  
  
_‘What happened?’_  
  
They had a meeting and Akashi was in good terms with some big international names and he was going to Korea. That was all she knew and she was just as clueless as everyone else.  
  
But not for long.  
  
It was when Ao personally handed the notes to Akashi in his office that she caught it, with her nerves calm and her entire being relaxed after a long day’s work. The smell was faint, but it was there, a hint of sweetness lingering in the air around Akashi and Ao knew for sure that the alpha did not, _never did_ , smell so sugary sweet. Maybe some alphas did not possess the trademark musk and smelled a bit like candy but Akashi was definitely not one of those said alphas. The whole office could testify to that. So it could only be one thing.  
  
“Thank you. You’re free for the rest of the day, unless something dire comes up.” Akashi dismissed her and she bowed her head again, discreetly inhaling to confirm that the foreign smell was there.  
  
As soon as she was back on her own desk, the list on the post-it was updated.  
  
_~~good dream~~_  
  
_~~good coffee~~_  
  
_~~bought a dog?~~_  
  
_~~is he a dog person?~~_  
  
_~~bought a cat?~~_  
  
_~~cat person?~~_  
  
_omega… lover?_  
  
She stared at the list for a minute before smiling and nodding to herself.  
  
**_lover_ **

**  
** Definitely that. ****  


* * *

Akashi watched his assistant leave, carrying herself out his office with stiff movements as if she could not quite contain the excited jitters in her legs. He had noticed it of course, how the gears of her inquisitive mind started turning the moment she caught a whiff of a scent that was definitely foreign to her, a scent that she would think was unusual for Akashi to carry with him. 

He had to bite down a laugh when she tried, _tried_ to very discreetly sniff the air around him for good measure, making certain that she had not imagined things. While office gossip and spreading rumors were not his thing, Akashi supposed that a word or two about him, being with an omega, floating around his empire would not hurt. In fact, if he were to admit it, he rather liked the idea of everyone knowing about Kuroko. Not that they all know Kuroko or even had seen him, but perhaps someday when Akashi could finally introduce him to the world as his mate, his _partner._ In life and for life. 

Oh _god._ For now he could only imagine, only try to picture the scene in his head but heavens above this was perhaps the first time he felt so happy to the point that he had started spinning around on his swiveling office chair. 

(From outside his office door, his assistant had peeked and was caught off guard with his childish display, but nonetheless was typing in the group chat the next second).

It had been a week since the incident with Kuroko’s student. The school had offered Kuroko an indefinite leave with pay as compensation _for being utterly useless_ (in Akashi’s opinion) during the harassment. Predictably, Kuroko thought it was too much and had insisted to go back after a mere three days to which Akashi vehemently fought with a firm “no.” 

They compromised a week and a half, though Akashi originally wanted a full month.

Now with all his worries put to rest, it had been a smooth sailing week between them. 

He spent most of his hours with his family as usual but he had more time with the Kuroko, alone, especially after Chiasa had been dropped off at the kindergarten. And while they exchanged no more than hugs and lingering touches, Akashi was more than satisfied because Kuroko, for all his timid shyness, had allowed Akashi to scent him with every chance he got, indulging the alpha until he was satisfied. But the best part of it all was that he could _feel_ Kuroko’s affections, channeled underneath the soft brush of his wrists on Akashi’s clothes, nose rubbing at the crook of his collar as he buried his face on Akashi’s chest. He would feel the gentle pull of nimble fingers, a ghost of a pull on his shirt, a hint for Akashi to tighten his arms around him more and not let go just yet. 

Kuroko was an omega. Akashi saw him more than that but the fact never strayed away from his mind. Others liked to think that Kuroko was too cold and apathetic, too stoic and plain, but in Akashi’s arms, Kuroko was warm, vulnerable. The alpha could sense it, feel the tremors of restrained want flowing from within the omega, touch starved and wanting nothing more than to surrender himself completely. He was yielding, slowly, taking one step at a time, testing the waters and seeing how far he could push himself before his fears start to pull him away from Akashi again, and the alpha could feel it all like an invisible wire had connected and bound their emotions as one. 

The chair had stopped spinning and Akashi came to face the view of the city past the gigantic window of his office. His heart throbbed, a heaviness in his chest replacing the happy flutters from minutes ago. 

It had been hours since he left Kuroko’s home, and hours more before he could make it back. Akashi wondered how on earth he had managed to stray away from Kuroko for years, how in the world he had survived without Kuroko’s scent comforting him. And in a few days he was bound to leave for business, just for a while but regardless, Akashi felt troubled on how he was going to tell his omega and of course, their child. How he was going to assure them it was a temporary thing and he was coming back in a few days despite knowing that he did not have to. Because there was a fear that had taken root from the past but more than that there was trust and faith, something he believed he did not deserve.   
  
(If Midorima were to know about such thoughts plaguing him again, he would never hear the end of it). 

For now, he reclined against his chair with his legs crossed and fingers drumming on his armrests as he counted the hours. 

“I miss him already.”  
  
(In the end, Akashi gave up and just left, rushing to hurry back to Kuroko’s side.)

* * *

 The clock’s hand did not seem to move from where it was, and Kuroko was sure he had been staring at it for an eternity. The television was open, but his attention clearly was not on whatever program was playing. 

How pathetic must it be, he mused, to miss Akashi already when it hadn’t even been a day since they last saw each other. If one were to ask him precise numbers, he would answer in a heartbeat because yes, obviously, he had been counting. 

He was starting to think that more than a week off at work was a bad idea. There was just nothing interesting enough to distract himself from missing the alpha’s presence, and dwelling on that feeling for too long was enough for him wonder if he was actually doing the right thing, if it was truly okay to allow himself to be that close to Akashi now. 

The distinct click of his door being unlocked from the outside had Kuroko perking up from the couch, head turning impossibly fast in anticipation and when the door opened to reveal Kagami, he was almost ashamed of himself to think that it was going to be Akashi.

‘ _It’s only been four hours.’_ He reminded himself. ‘ _You didn’t even give him a key, idiot.’_

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Like what?” 

Kagami tried to mimic his face, something that was really hard to do considering it did not really express much. The beta waved a hand with a roll of his eyes, giving up at the idea. Why did he even think he could do it.

“Like you’re surprised to see me.” Kagami answered instead as he settled the bag of groceries he brought with him on the table. “And you shouldn’t even be surprised to see me. We’ve been texting and I told you I’d come.” 

“I wasn’t surprised.” Kuroko stood up from his seat and helped Kagami sort the items out. They were all ingredients for Kagami’s self-loved homemade burgers.

“Right.” The redhead scoffed before pausing to stare at Kuroko, losing himself for a while in his own head before finally reaching another conclusion. It was easy to tell whenever everything in Kagami’s mind would click into place. The beta’s eyes would widen for a fraction and his lips would form an ‘O,’ staying like that for a while before his voice found its way past his tongue. “Oooh I see.” 

“See what?” 

“I’m sorry I’m not your stupid Akashi—ow!” Kuroko had hit him with plastic spatula but it only proved that Kagami was right with his guess. The hit did actually hurt and Kagami rubbed over the reddened spot on his forearm. “You didn’t have to hit me!” 

“And you didn’t have to call Akashi-kun stupid.” 

“Oh so you’re defending him now?” It was meant to be teasing, but Kagami was still really working on hiding his animosity for said alpha, and of course Kuroko easily caught the bitterness in between his words. Instead of answering, the omega just gave him a weary sigh. They had had this conversation far too many times and it was not like he had not defended Akashi’s name before. “You know, he’s damn lucky he hasn’t met me face to face yet or I swear to god—” 

“Kagami-kun.” Kuroko put a ceramic bowl down the table with a loud thud. “Please.” 

They stared at each other, unwavering. By the looks Kuroko was giving him Kagami already knew he was going to lose the staring contest this time. He sighed in defeat, shrugging his shoulders with a click of his tongue and while he finished settling things on the table, Kuroko continued to watch his every move as if daring him to say something more. The spatula was within the omega’s reach and Kuroko looked ready to his face with it so he zipped his mouth shut. 

It was not until Kuroko retreated on the other side of the table did Kagami dare open his mouth again, but he was armed with less aggressive words this time. 

“We’ll have to meet eventually, you know, like _have to_.” Kagami started with his task, taking the ground meat in his hands together with his selected spices. Kneading the meat with his hands helped him filter out some stress. “Or else I’d continue acting like the fucking anti-hero in your soap opera. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” 

Kuroko pulled a chair and took a seat across him, eyes watching Kagami’s hands. “Yes.”

“I was busy the past few weeks because of some seminar training shit but that’s done and I’m gonna be around all the time. Again.” He started shaping the meat into patties. “And we’ll meet, inevitably.” 

The omega nodded. His gaze fixed on Kagami’s working hands as said beta continued to mutter not-so-empty threats.

“Thank you, Kagami-kun.” Kuroko said after a while, cutting Kagami’s litany of murder plans. Clearly, it was not the response he expected from the omega, especially after promising to deliver a slow, torturous day, or was Kuroko not listening? 

“What?” Kagami’s brows were scrunched and Kuroko leaned forward, enough to reach and flick his finger on the creases above Kagami’s nose, making the man yelp. “Oi! You—” 

“Thank you for looking out for me.” The omega smiled and Kagami gaped at him as he sat back down. “I’ve never really said that out loud, haven’t I? I mean, I thank you for cooking for us and for letting Chiasa stay over at your house when I’m away, but I’ve never really thanked you, properly, for being here. So, thank you, Kagami-kun.” 

Kuroko dipped his head low, hands on top of the other on his lap as he bowed. 

Those definitely weren’t tears prickling the corners of Kagami’s eyes. 

“What the fuck, Kuroko.” The redhead fought them, blinking and quickly wiping them away with the back of his hand before they could escape down his cheeks for Kuroko to see. The tremble in his voice, however, failed to go past Kuroko’s ears. 

“Chin up, goddamnit. How many times do I have to tell you there’s no need for that shit.” 

“I still want to, though—oh, are those tears, Kagami-kun?” 

“They’re not! Fuck you, man.”

Kuroko laughed when Kagami frantically wiped a teardrop with a meat-stained hand. 

* * *

 Akashi was almost surprised to find himself standing right outside Kuroko’s door, hands occupied with flowers and a box of sweets he got again from Murasakibara’s place. Said alpha had raised a brow at him, definitely amused to find him at the shop yet again, and at such an early hour than usual. He had shrugged his shoulders at him, a kind of admittance, a silent ‘ _yes, I know.’_  

Now that he thought about it, perhaps it wasn’t that he felt surprised at how quickly he found himself back and ready to knock again on Kuroko’s home, but rather the surprise came in with how familiar all of it felt. It had become routine and Akashi could not help but bite his lips, feeling a little shy now of all times, at himself. That was, he never really pictured himself to be… in _this,_ whatever this wonderful thing this is. 

Squaring his shoulders, an attempt to look casual and cool (because even someone like Akashi was just a simple alpha who wanted to impress), he raised his hand to knock. The paper bag of cookies slipped through his wrists, catching just by the crook of his elbow, and then he paused. It caught him off his guard, the feeling of wonder and delight suddenly coursing through him and making his heart leap in his chest. It was not entirely foreign; it was Kuroko’s but it was also his own. 

Akashi knocked, only needing to do it twice before the door opened before him with haste, and he was not at all disappointed to find Kuroko standing there on the other side, cheeks flushed red and eyes slowly going wide with realization that it had been a little too obvious that he was waiting for Akashi to knock this entire time. 

“Y-you’re early.” Kuroko said in lieu of greeting, eyes trailing down from Akashi’s face to the flowers in his hand as it was given to him. “You didn’t have to.” 

“I want to.” Akashi replied before gently stepping into Kuroko’s space to pull him closer by the hip now that his hand was free. And wow, just how much did he miss the omega’s scent, breathing in deeply as he placed a kiss atop Kuroko’s head. The smell of shampoo mixing sweetly with everything that was Kuroko and it was heavenly. “Were you waiting for me?” 

They both knew he was, and Akashi did love to tease Kuroko if only to see his cute reactions. The omega turned rigid for a second before burying his face on Akashi’s chest. The alpha felt a sting on his side where Kuroko had pinched him in response, but Kuroko had not denied it. Akashi would know he was lying if he ever did anyway, because they both felt it. Emotions flitting in between them through a bond, and it was a revelation for them both. Surprising because, _how?_ But very much welcome even with the question left unanswered. 

It took a while before they managed to break apart and go inside. Akashi’s hand never left Kuroko’s, always resting by his shoulder, his waist, or the curve of his back, wrist pressing gently against his clothes. Kuroko had produced a vase out of nowhere and carefully arranged the flowers Akashi brought him before placing them next to another occupied vase, the flowers in them just beginning to bloom fully. Akashi brought them two days ago. 

“You’re early today, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko looked at Akashi briefly before focusing back on the flowers, fingers caressing the lily’s petals. 

“Yes. There was nothing left for me to do at the office and,” Akashi turned to face Kuroko, leaning on his side with his elbow anchored on the counter top. “I’d very much rather be here.” 

Kuroko had blushed again so easily. His brows were furrowed to appear annoyed when Akashi laughed. The omega snatched the bag of cookies from his hand and pushed it to the other side of the table just so he could get himself occupied with something, anything than looking Akashi in the eye lest he wanted to combust. 

“Of course you’d say that.” Kuroko muttered with a roll of his eyes, but there was fondness in his voice, something that Akashi did not miss and yet he found himself curling his fingers around Kuroko’s arm and pulling him, making the omega face him fully. 

“I mean it.” There was low dip in his voice and Akashi had no idea what kind of face he had on, what kind of expression he was showing. Did he look defensive? Because he was certain he sounded like he was so it was not a far cry to look pitifully defensive and desperate. His reflection in Kuroko’s eyes were not enough to tell, but Kuroko had looked surprised, more so with what he said. A heartbeat passed, a pause, before warmth thrummed through him when Kuroko took the hand on his arm and squeezed it reassuringly. 

“I know.” Kuroko met Akashi’s gaze and held it. His thumb drew circles behind Akashi’s hand until the alpha was smiling again. “Have you eaten?” 

Yes, he had. He shook his head. 

“Not yet.” 

“I’ll prepare something. What would you like?” 

It was already a given, very obvious fact that Akashi just loved everything about Kuroko, but kept repeating it inside his head like a well broken record player, that _I love this man and I love how his fingers linger on my skin before he turns away and I love it when he stands on his toes to reach for the items in the cupboards and his voice when he asks me what I would like to have—_ and Akashi had to blink, processing the question. Kuroko was looking at him expectantly, patiently waiting for an answer, and the alpha had to stop his self from blurting out _I would love to have you for the rest of my life._

“Anything is fine.” 

He loved the way Kuroko’s eyebrows furrowed in thought. 

Oh, he didn’t want to leave. Sure the summit would just be for a few days— _a few days too long._  

Kuroko gave his hand one last squeeze before pulling away. Akashi’s hand rose and stopped mid-air in an attempt to hold the omega and keep him in place, rightfully beside him, but that would have been too much. How could he instantly miss Kuroko’s presence in mere seconds? How ridiculous. Kuroko was just right there, back turned against him in favor of rummaging through the fridge in search for anything, because “anything is fine.” 

Akashi kept his hands to himself, fingers clasped together over the table. He breathed in, partly to calm himself and mostly to inhale Kuroko’s calming scent… except there was more, something else lingering in the air.

A crease formed in between his brows, eyes turning sharp as he turned and surveyed the place in search of something amiss. There was something definitely different he could sense, a smell that was relatively faint but made him feel unsettled. It was not familiar, or was it? The scent did not feel aggressive nor threatening but it bothered him why? 

He chanced a glance on Kuroko, and the latter was already looking at him curiously. 

“Was someone here?” Akashi asked in a tone that was unintentionally sharp that it made Kuroko’s eyes widen a bit. The alpha drew a breath and calmly this time, he asked, “Did you have a visitor?” 

“Yes?” Kuroko answered with confusion lacing his tone, wondering why Akashi was asking. “Um, Kagami-kun was here.”

_Oh._ Akashi stood straight. His voice dipped low. “Kagami Taiga.” So that was where the discomfort came from. 

Akashi would not say he hated the beta, but he would say he never liked him. The fact rekindled itself to Kuroko. The omega understood now the unsettling feeling that had blanketed Akashi. He tentatively approached the other, never breaking eye contact. The intensity of the alpha’s gaze, which Akashi was most likely not aware of, almost gave Kuroko goosebumps. 

When he finally was standing in front of Akashi, he realized he actually had no idea what to do. But Akashi threw questions before Kuroko could even trouble himself about it. 

“He visits often?” 

“Yes. Just like Kise-kun and Aomine-kun.” 

“He takes care of you?” 

“He watches over us, just like the others.” 

“And you’re comfortable with him?” 

“Wha— Yes, of course.” The question was a little odd and Kuroko could not entirely read Akashi’s blank face. “I mean, we’ve known each other since high school so…” 

Kuroko’s toes curled from within his fluffy slippers when Akashi only continued to stare down at him, lips in a thin line, scent getting stronger but he could not quite get the reason behind it. Or maybe he did? But the thought that Akashi might be jealous, or to go as far as to feel threatened— 

“I see.” The thoughts came to a halt and Akashi’s shoulders slumped down, hands reaching out to Kuroko’s. The heaviness in the air has disappeared in a split second, leaving Kuroko more confused. But Akashi was now playing with his fingers, pulling on them gently before intertwining them with his.

“Akashi-kun?” 

“I will be gone for a week. To Korea. For business.” 

“Oh.”

Akashi looked apologetic and Kuroko wondered if the alpha could feel the sinking sensation in his heart, which was silly. Kuroko could do better than pathetically pine for the oncoming week without Akashi’s presence. He did just fine for _years,_ with a child, without Akashi around so there was no excuse to feel whatever it was he felt at the moment. 

“I’m sorry.” Akashi brought Kuroko’s knuckles to his lips, pressing a feather like kiss. “I’ll be back.” 

Kuroko pulled a tiny smile. “I know. You don’t have to reassure me.” 

“Yes, I do.” 

He could feel dread pooling in Akashi’s stomach. 

“It’s fine, Akashi-kun.” Kuroko sighed, pulling his hand away from Akashi’s in favor of sweeping away the fringe that touched Akashi’s lashes. “Because you’ll bring home souvenirs, won’t you?” 

Maybe he was reassuring himself when he said it; the question attempting to work wonders for them both. The flash in Akashi’s eyes, from surprise to understanding, was rewarding and Kuroko could feel relief wash over him as well. 

The feelings worked both ways now, it seemed. And while Kuroko’s heart returned back to its happy jovial rhythm, Akashi’s held onto the word ‘ _home’_ and his heart  
was doing flips. 

“I will. I’d bring home the whole country for you.” 

Kuroko snorted and tugged on Akashi’s bangs playfully. 

“I don’t think the whole country will fit in this household, Bakashi-kun.” He reluctantly pulled away and went back to rummaging through his cupboards. “Are you sure you have no specific request?” 

The words ‘ _I would like to request for you to spend the rest of your life with me’_ dangled once again at the tip of his tongue, but instead he said, after little contemplation, “Tofu soup would be nice.” And Kuroko seemed pleased.

Whatever issued he had with Kagami Taiga was put aside, for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys must be expecting grandpapa and he was supposed to make an appearance in this chapter but it got way too long so he'll just be in the next I'm sorry. Aand I am so sorry for the delay. Work is being a bitch and I just aaaaah---But I'm so happy that you're still sticking with this story. I really can't thank you enough. Please forgive any mistakes you spot and feel free to point them out to me. They're innocent, they're my fault. I'll work harder. Thank you!: :)


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Because papa is a busy person.” She reasoned, because she could see it with her own eyes, how her papa was trying so hard to balance everything while still allotting time to play and solve puzzles with her.

Kuroko may have underestimated just how much he had allowed himself to get attached to Akashi. 

He was missing him; a fact he tried to deny the third day of the alpha’s absence, and now was just coming to accept on the fourth. Because Kuroko had been independent for six years and he had been used to living without craving the warmth of others, satisfied with only the company of Chiasa’s soft hugs and bright smiles. 

But now it felt like he was back to square one, feeling unrightfully abandoned just like the day after Akashi left for London even if he knew within himself that he had no right to feel that way. 

There had been nothing between them, officially. The hugs and lingering touches back then, the eskimo kisses shared behind classroom curtains and gym doors and under balding trees, were mere indulgences to the feelings that he let his young heart to have for Akashi. And he was certain, he knew Akashi felt the same. Because almost everyday Akashi bathed him with his scent, and even when they went to different high schools, Akashi always took the time to visit Kuroko just so he could rub his nose at the crook of the omega’s neck.

Kuroko allowed himself to dream. He allowed himself to hope. There would be a future of them together,  _ always _ together. The thin wall between them would one day disappear and the hesitation behind their every action would vanish. They could hug all they want, all day, and he would accept all of Akashi’s kisses with his lips. He was naïve to think he could just dismiss the possibility that everything could end before they even started, stupid to think that Akashi was going nowhere. 

When Akashi announced he was leaving, Kuroko’s head felt like it was going to explode any given moment from the amount of effort he exerted just to hold back the tears.  _ You have no right. You have no right to stop him.  _ Because loving Akashi was not enough of a reason to ask him to stay. He could only hope, and hope, and hope that something would happen to change the course of everything.

He hoped that Akashi would stay. When Akashi visited him the night before his departure at dawn, he hoped Akashi would stay. When that thin wall of restraint crumbled down at their feet as Akashi let himself loose and Kuroko accepted him and gave all of himself in return, meeting all of Akashi’s kisses with his lips just like in his dreams— _ it was a kiss meant to burn him for the next hundred years— _ he hoped Akashi would stay.  _ He didn’t mind being burned forever.  _

And yet he did not. Kuroko did not even ask him to stay because he knew what Akashi’s answer would be.  _ No. I can’t.  _ They were still young and the world offered a lot of possibilities and greatness, far better things than Kuroko’s love. So he smiled and nodded his head because he understood—  _ it’s not enough that I love you— _ and Akashi lingered at his door as if hesitating. Then he left. 

He left. 

_ Again.  _

Kuroko paused in the middle of washing the dishes before shaking his head vehemently, trying to diss the unwanted thoughts away. 

_ But he’s coming back. He promised, this time. _

_ “ _ Mama?” A tug on his shirt. Chiasa looked up at him with worry. “Are you okay?”

_ He just called you an hour ago. Don’t be an idiot. _

_ “ _ Yes.” Kuroko smiled and wiped his hand dry against his pants before tucking a strand of hair behind Chiasa’s ear. “I am okay. Don’t worry.”

“Your mama is just lovesick, Chiasa-chan.” Takao’s voice interjected before Chiasa could speak again, and the remark was met by an elbow on his rib cage, courtesy of Momoi. Huh, Kuroko almost forgot about them.

“Lovesick?” Chiasa asked and Takao, undeterred, answered “It means he misses your papa!”

“Takao-kun!” Momoi exclaimed, looking at Kuroko and withering against said omega’s unimpressed face. Takao merely grinned, feeling smug because he knew he was right and he understood why exactly Kuroko was feeling a little pissy. He was an omega as well, after all, and he had his own fair share of lonely days and nights whenever Midorima would be sent away on medical missions.

“Did you come here just to tease me? If so, then please feel free to leave. The door is right there.” Kuroko pointed at it and Takao laughed.

“No, no. Sorry, I can’t help it. Your face is just adorably red.”

“Out.”

“I’ll stop now.” Takao raised his right hand as if to pledge, and it was enough for Kuroko to turn his back and continue washing the dishes. Chiasa had given him one last look before returning to sit between Momoi and Takao.

“What are you two doing here anyway?” Kuroko asked. They were yet to reveal the reason for their sudden visit, appearing at their doorstep a few minutes after he and Chiasa came back from school. While he was used to them just hanging out, the look on their faces when they came gave him the impression that something was up. 

“Dai-chan called for a meeting!”

“Why?”

“He didn’t say.” Momoi shrugged. “But it sounded important.”

“Did he make Kise-san mad again?” Chiasa asked, eyebrows furrowing and Takao could not help but express his amusement by hugging Chiasa tightly. 

“You’re so cute, Chiasa-chan! Adults are sooo troublesome, aren’t they?” Takao beamed and ignored the confused look on Chiasa’s face after suddenly being gushed on. She wanted to say, ‘ you’re an adult too so that means you are troublesome?’ but decided against it. Takao was rubbing his cheek against hers. 

“That’s actually not impossible.” Momoi sighed. It was then that a series of knocks came from the door and Kuroko walked over to open it. 

“Tetsu!”

“Good afternoon, Aomine-kun.” Kuroko greeted automatically, and Chiasa echoed him, earning another smothering from Takao because  _ your voice is so tiny!  _ Chiasa was starting to think he liked Kise better. Speaking of…

“Oh, you’re not with Ki-chan?” Momoi looked past Aomine. “Is he not done yet with the photoshoot? I thought you’re picking him up?” 

“Yeah, I will but—“ Aomine paused in his tracks and turned towards Kuroko. The bluenette stared back at Aomine, whose face showed different expressions in a matter of few seconds before settling to a look of understanding. Aomine sighed and smiled before proceeding to ruffle Kuroko’s hair.

“You are doing okay, Tetsu.” He said, and Kuroko almost immediately felt himself relax with the touch, an unknown tension leaving his body. 

Even someone as dense as Aomine had picked up his distress.  _ Great.  _ Kuroko was blaming it all to being an omega as omegas naturally craved touch. All that independence he was able to build in the last six years might as well be considered void. He really did underestimate just how much Akashi could affect him.

Aomine was not Akashi. He was not Kuroko’s alpha, but the kind words and gentleness from messing his hair was enough to make him less anxious. For that he was thankful.

“I will pick up Ryouta in an hour. Bakagami isn’t here yet? Tsk.” The alpha continued then, rummaging Kuroko’s fridge for a Fanta before positioning himself across the three. Kuroko slid in beside him instinctively as Aomine draped an arm around his shoulders. “Whatever. I’ll just explain it to his thick skull later. Anyway, I uh, called you here to talk about Ryouta, so…”

Aomine drank from his can in huge gulps, Chiasa watching his adam’s apple bob before throwing in the question she had been itching to ask.

“Did you make Kise-san cry again?”

Aomine almost choked on his drink. The can hit the table with a thud as Aomine defensively exclaimed “I did not! And what do you mean ‘again?’” To which Chiasa shrugged her shoulders before leaning back against Takao (much to the omega’s delight)  and fiddling with the tips of Momoi’s hair, suddenly losing all interest. 

“You can’t blame her.” Kuroko chuckled and Momoi nodded in agreement . 

“Why’d you call us here then?” Takao prodded for Aomine to continue, and half-heartedly, while still a little put off by Chiasa’s question, he moved on with his explanation.

Aomine took a deep breath, licked his lips, brushed his fingers through his hair before exhaling through his nose. 

“I will ask Ryouta to marry me.”

He looked at each of their faces- at Kuroko, Momoi, Takao, and Chiasa who suddenly found him interesting again- all frozen with parted lips.

The front door opened, revealing a disheveled Kagami who looked weirded out upon receiving multiple wide-eyed stares.

“W-what is it?” He asked.

Then Momoi squealed. 

* * *

 

“ _ Really?”  _ Akashi sounded genuinely surprised. “ _ I didn’t quite expect that to come from Daiki, of all people.” _

_ “ _ No one did.” Kuroko folded his knees against his chest as he settled on the couch. “Momoi-san wouldn’t stop screaming.”

_ “Ah, I can imagine that. So what’s his plan then?”  _

“A set up.” 

“ _ Set up?” _

“It’s going to be a flashy proposal, he said. He wants to surprise Kise-san.” Kuroko fiddled with the hem of his pajamas, eyes trailing up the ceiling as he recalled Aomine’s words. “He’ll conspire with his agency to plan out a fake wedding photo shoot.” 

From the other end of the line, he heard Akashi chuckle as the mattress creaked from the alpha’s movements. Kuroko looked at the clock. It was already late for the both of them, but a few minutes more wouldn’t hurt, would it?

“ _ I pray Daiki would be able to plan it flawlessly, knowing how scatterbrained he could be.”  _

Kuroko laughed at that. “That’s what Momoi-san and Takao-san are for.” He said, then added, “Kagami-kun and I are to help him find the perfect ring.”

Silence followed. For a moment, Kuroko thought maybe he should not have mentioned the beta’s name, based on how Akashi tensed up from the last time after knowing Kagami regularly came to cook in their house. 

“ _ Ring?”  _ Akashi asked, voice dropping to a hush. 

“Yes.”

Another beat of silence. Kuroko wondered if Kagami was that big of an issue to Akashi, or if his attention was really just caught by the topic of Kise’s ring. He could hear Akashi’s slow breaths through the phone. The alpha was yet to speak. 

“Akashi-kun?” 

“ _ Ah, I’m here.”  _ The sound of the mattress creaking from Akashi’s end came through again. “ _ I just spaced out for a bit.” _

_ “ _ Oh.” Guilt immediately gnawed Kuroko’s heart. “You must be tired. I’m sorry. I won’t be keeping you up for—“

“ _ No.”   _ The way Akashi’s voice pierced through the line surprised him. He heard the other release a deep breath. “ _ No. I’m not tired. But are you?”  _

“No.” Kuroko’s answer was immediate. His eyes were fixated on the hands of the clock as the minutes willed away, the night growing deeper. Chiasa was already sound asleep in their bedroom, cuddled against the giant stuffed dog that Akashi bought her. “Not really.” 

“ _ You can’t sleep?” _

_ “… _ no.”

“ _ That makes the two of us, then.”  _ He could hear the smile on Akashi’s voice, and he dared not stop his lips from forming a smile of its own. “ _ I miss you.” _

Warmth bloomed from within Kuroko. The same words started to form on his mouth, but no sound came out. 

_ “I’ll be home soon.”  _ Home. Soon. He desperately wanted Akashi to be home _ now.  _ “ _ I’ll be back.” _

_ “ _ I know.” Kuroko nibbled on his lip as he hugged his knees closer against his chest. If he could just convince himself completely, get rid of the doubts and anxiety in his head. Akashi was going to return to him and he was going to wait, patiently. 

“ _ I love you.” _

_ “ _ I—“  _ love you too, so much.  _ “I know.” 

Akashi hummed, contented, seemingly satisfied with the pause in between Kuroko’s words as if he knew what Kuroko meant to say with the hitch of his breath, as if the unspoken feelings resonated clearly through the faint buzzing of the telephone line. 

_ “Talk to me until you fall to sleep.”  _ It almost sounded like a demand, except Akashi’s tone was gentle.

“What do you want me to say?”

“ _ Anything.” _

_ “ _ Anything?”

“ _ I want to hear your voice.”  _

Kuroko did not need to look at himself in the mirror to know that his skin was flushed red up to the tip of his ears.

“I don’t want to do all the talking.”  _ I want to hear your voice too. _

“ _ Of course, Tetsuya.”  _

Kuroko closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. 

He felt like he was a ticking bomb of emotions and feelings, happiness and sadness and longing and love all dancing uneven rhythms in his heart. It was hard to contain.

“ _ The perfect ring. How does Daiki intend to find it?”  _ Akashi asked, and Kuroko answered with  his best efforts to mask the trembling of his voice.

“He said he wanted something that could shine just as bright as Kise-san’s smile.” 

* * *

There was a group of teachers gathered around his spot again, and Kuroko was not even surprised anymore, just curious as to what kind of flower Akashi had asked to deliver to him this time. For the past four days, now five, a beautifully arranged bouquet greeted him on his faculty desk, and the other teachers felt great amusement from them.

No one really knew about his life. Not everyone even knew he had a daughter. Kuroko had always been tight lipped and liked his privacy way too much, for good reason, and the teachers who tried to learn more from the little information he’d tell them only received polite smiles. They could not be blamed for soaking in this little new fact about Kuroko’s suddenly flourishing love life. Even the student’s gossiped openly in the hallways.

“Kuroko-sensei! Another one!” Kaede beckoned at him excitedly from where he stood by the door. They all knew who sent them. It was impossible not to have clear assumptions since the incident with Saito. The teachers parted to give him just enough space to pull his seat, careful not to touch him. Somehow, everyone at school was extremely wary not to allow their scents to mix with his in the slightest. But at least, Kuroko was thankful that they were not avoiding him like the plague, unlike the first day he reappeared for work again.

“Do you know what they mean?” Kaede asked as Kuroko lifted the Lily of the Valley arrangement to admire them, the stems delicately secured with a white thick ribbon. He knew, but before he could nod his head, one of the youngest faculty staff excitedly answered from the other side of his desk. 

“I don’t!” Hirano-sensei leaned forward, eagerness in her youthful eyes. She reminded Kuroko of Momoi. “What do they mean?”

Clasping her hands, Kaede said, “It’s a promise of happiness.” And everyone but Kuroko sighed dreamily it made him laugh. He felt like they were teenagers.

“How dramatic.” Kuroko mumbled but everyone heard, and Hirano shook her head. 

“Not dramatic.” The young teacher waved a finger at him. “But romantic.”

Kuroko laughed again, nodding his head. “Well, that too.” 

He did not notice how everyone paused to bask under his rare display of emotion. Unfortunately, it did not take long before the sound of the school bell came to interrupt the moment. Kaede shooed everyone to their respective classes. Including Kuroko.

“I know you’re in love but the students aren’t going to teach themselves.” The old teacher teased and Kuroko had to hide his blush behind the bouquet.

The day resumed like usual after that. 

For the most part, it was uneventful. Sometimes he felt his students’ stares boring into his back still, questions unrelated to the day’s topic hanging at the tips of their tongues but never making it past their mouth. Ever since Akashi’s stunt, they left him at peace. Still friendly (mostly omegas) but mindful of the boundaries. 

At the last chiming of the school’s clock, he’d leave school with his flowers cradled on his arm. A chaperone waited for him at the gates because ‘ _ I’m not taking my chances, Tetsuya.’  _

“Aizawa-san.” Kuroko nodded at the beta who met him halfway immediately after spotting him. She bowed at him with a smile. 

“Good afternoon, Kuroko-sama. Would you like some help with that?” She eyed the textbooks balanced on his other arm and then took it, not waiting for Kuroko to decline as she expected. 

“To better carry your flowers, Kuroko-sama.” Aizawa reasoned. Kuroko tried convincing her to drop the honorific but she refused. 

She opened the car door with her free hand for Kuroko to slip inside, but not before expressing his gratitude. His textbooks were placed beside her on the passenger seat, keeping her company at the front as they drove to pick-up Chiasa. 

* * *

 

“Chiasa-chan’s papa is handsome and cool unlike you, Kurose-kun.” The little alpha looked scandalized at Sakura’s proclamation. He stood up from his seat and postured.

“I am handsome and cool too!” Kurose pointed at himself, thumb digging on his chest. 

“You wouldn’t say that if you’ve seen him.” Sakura replied cooly while shaking her head. “Akashi-san looks like a king!”

“Fine! Then I look like a prince! Right Chiasa-chan?” 

The young omega regarded Kurose for a moment, blue eyes sweeping from top to bottom of Kurose’s features. 

“You look like a brat.” Chiasa decided and Kurose looked betrayed. His confidence broke down and fell to pieces on the floor. It made Chiasa giggle, offering a comforting hand to rub Kurose’s hunched back while Sakura cackled beside her. “I’m kidding. Kurose-kun does not look like brat. He is also cool, just not as cool as—as papa.”

“Because Chiasa-chan’s papa looks like a king!” Sakura cheered, and then she gasped as another idea seemed to strike her head. “But isn’t he a king? He’s like, the owner of an empire, right?”

“Emperors rule empires, Sakura-chan.” Chiasa corrected. Kurose perked up, getting over his demise quickly. His eyebrows were scrunched together.

“Empire?” He inquired and Sakura launched to an explanation with renewed enthusiasm.

“We googled Akashi-san! My nii-chan helped me.”

“And?” Chiasa asked, honestly curious. She never thought about looking her papa up at the internet, believing that her mama and Kise-san and Momoi-san’s stories were enough. 

“And, it says there that Akashi-san owns Akashi Empire!” Sakura waved her hands in the air, trying to show how big an empire was with her little arms. “My nii-chan was very surprised, you know? Nii-chan said ‘oh your friend is very rich.’ Are you very rich, Chiasa-chan?”

Chiasa blinked, taken aback for a second by Sakura’s question before slowly shaking her head. 

“But your papa is an emperor.” Kurose scratched his head. “Then Chiasa-chan is… is a princess!”

“Chiasa-chan looks like a princess so she must be!” Sakura clapped her hands excitedly. Being called a princess had Chiasa biting her lip in embarrassment as pink glowed on her cheeks.  

“I’m not.” 

“It’s okay, Chiasa-chan. I understand you.” Kurose patted her head. “Because I’m a prince-ow!”

Sakura pulled Kurose’s ear, a sour look on her face. “No you’re not. You said you just look like one.”

“I look like one so I must be one!” Kurose fired back as he struggled to free himself from Sakura’s clutches while Chiasa observed in silent amusement. Flailing his arms, he turned to her. “Chiasa-chan! When is your papa coming back? I want to see him!”

“Coming back? Ah, in seven days.”, “I think.”

“You think?” 

“It’s what papa said and mama said, so…” Chiasa bit her inner cheek, trying to recall the exact conversation when her papa told her about going away for a while. Korea? 

“You’re not sure?”

“Because papa is a busy person.” She reasoned, because she could see it with her own eyes, how her papa was trying so hard to balance everything while still allotting time to play and solve puzzles with her. 

There were lot of missed calls made known by the ignored vibrations in her papa’s pockets, only to be followed by furious and quick  _ tap tap tap tap _ on his phone when he thought Chiasa was not looking. And maybe she felt a little bad for that, because maybe they were more important and she will take no offense if her papa minded the calls first. So if her papa would be away for maybe another day, it was okay. Because maybe that was payment, maybe a compensation, for all the wasted work hours. That was to say Chiasa knew how important work hours were! Because people get paid every work hour, right? She learned that on T.V., and from Kise-san’s rants about his talent fees, and from her mama’s eagerness to arrive at school on time, and Takao-san’s willingness to do ‘overtime work,’ whatever that meant.

Papa said seven days though and it was already day five since, and Papa kept calling her and mama. So maybe papa was not going to extend? And if papa was really an emperor then maybe papa would not actually need to listen to other people who might ask him to stay one more day in Korea?

Chiasa wouldn’t had known she had been wearing Aomine-san and Kagami-san’s ugly thinking face while fiddling her thumbs if it were not for Kurose-kun’s finger suddenly poking her cheek.

“Chiasa-chan? Why are you sad?” He asked and Chiasa blinked her eyes like she had been woken up from nap time.

“I’m not sad.” She was just thinking about… deep adult-like worries.

“Yeah you are.” Kurose insisted while wrinkling his nose.

“It’s because Kurose-kun is ugly.” Sakura pointed out as if it was the very obvious answer, and the bickering between the two started again. But Chiasa was laughing again, too, so everything was okay. 

Her mama arrived minutes later as well, and then everything was definitely better. She ran to him upon sight and happily welcomed the embraced, burying her nose to surround herself with Kuroko’s comforting scent that now, also had a little bit of her papa’s scent mingling with it. Faint but there and that was enough.

“Kuroko-san!” Sakura and Kurose chorused, with the little alpha trying to desperately find another presence behind Kuroko. He voiced his disappointment out loud, catching Kuroko by surprise but recovering quickly with a laugh and a promise that “you will meet him eventually, Kurose-kun. Akashi-kun will be back soon.”

_ Soon.  _ Chiasa clung strongly on that word.  _ Soon.  _ Maybe her papa was really going back home after seven days. Because her mama’s smile was still radiant despite obviously being ‘love sick,’ like how Takao-san called it. 

“Bye-bye Sakura-chan, Kurose-kun!” She waved at them as they turned to leave.

The ride home was spent with Chiasa's rather lively tale of how Kurose boldly declared himself a prince, while her mama laughed. They will always be happy like this, she supposed, until upon arriving home, Kuroko tensed. She followed where he was looking.

There was another, equally expensive looking car parked outside their apartment building.

There was a man leaning casually against its bumper, a smile on his face.

She felt Kuroko’s hands tighten around her tiny fingers, but why? Chiasa scanned the man— _ old _ man—from his brown thin hair down to his shiny leather shoes. His eyes were sharp, reminding her of  _ someone _ , but who? He was posturing, but at the same time putting efforts in trying to look completely harmless, what for? 

Kuroko looked and felt more surprised than scared, so Chiasa assumed that there was nothing to fear, just something to be wary of, maybe. It was an unknown alpha afterall—

“Akashi-sama, good afternoon.” Aizawa bowed a proper, low bow and Kuroko gave his own curtsy. Chiasa quickly followed the example, albeit confused, because ‘ _ Akashi-sama?’ _

Said Akashi-sama was staring at him intently, which made her fidget a little but never averting her gaze away to mirror the curiosity of the elder. 

Then her mama spoke in a calm, quiet, and leveled tone that fave away absolutely nothing of what the omega could be feeling, the tone that Chiasa was so used to hearing whenever her mama's defenses climbed up up up to ward his heart from Kagami-san and Aomine-san's questions. He was steady. 

“Good afternoon, Akashi Masaomi-san.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I sincerely am hoping you liked this chapter. The ending was a little rushed, I'm sorry. I was at a loss on how to word everything properly and I used my phone to create this whole thing OTL. The tiny screen and keypad might've given me a migraine lol. But I'd rather have a migraine from writing a chapter than having one because of work. I wrote bits and bits of this chapter when it felt like I needed a break from stress so it might've reflected? Aaaaaaah.
> 
> I really hope you liked it. I also hope that I'm able to shed a little light about Akashi and Kuroko's past? Tell me if it's getting confusing or dragged out? Okay? I also hope you wouldn't mind me adding a little background on the other characters. But if it's becoming more of distraction, again, feel free to tell me! :D :D I appreciate suggestions! 
> 
> There are requests about having a jealous Akashi and I swear I am working on it to fit the flow of the story. Just uh, maybe don't expect that it's going to be as.. violent? as with the Saito encounter. :( 
> 
> Uh, what else... I'll try to be back soon? I did promise "grandpapa" so see you soon, I hope? I'm sorry if I am not able to reply to all of your comments but believe me, I LOVE ALL OF THEM AND YOU. Thank you! TOT
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me and this story and tolerating my mistakes. One day, when the stars align, I will revise all of this and wipe it out clean from any typos and inconsistencies and grammar errors (I'm not a native english speaker but I'll try my best to improve yay!). I didn't think I'd make it this far, tbh, and I have to thank you guys for that. 
> 
> (Sorry if I rambled longer than usual. Blame the sleepless nights and the coffee. I'll be less talkative next time.)

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first KnB fic, as well as my first omegaverse. Warning for plot holes and grammatical errors. Some characters might be a bit OOC. 
> 
> Questions, clarifications, suggestions, and violent reactions are very much welcome. 
> 
> Chiasa means One Thousand Mornings (according to google and thus the title but there's some deeper shit in there). >.


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